Covid-19 overwhelming Indiana hospitals; ERs, ICUs full

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Hospitals in Indiana are still reeling from the recent spurt in new Delta Covid cases across the state.

According to a report by the Indiana State Department of Health, 2,631 COVID-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, as of September 12, rising over six-fold from some 400 recorded on a daily basis in the beginning of July.

Further, hospitals confirmed that 726 patients are being treated in ICUs, constituting over 33 percent of unoccupied beds. Across the state, almost 83 percent of the beds in intensive care units are now occupied.

Due to the increase in patients, some Indiana hospitals have postponed non-elective surgeries, while other hospitals have reduced the patients being seen in their emergency rooms.

Both Indiana-based Eskenazi Health and Columbus Regional Health have had to reduce general admissions due to the jump in Covid cases.

Further, the largest healthcare system in the state -- Indiana University Health -- is now deferring elective procedures for inpatients.

According to Chris Weaver, an emergency room doctor at Indiana University Health, intensive care units remain "full and capacity is tight," according to Reuters.

"It has been crazy busy. We've seen a big surge - in high volumes - of COVID cases, and pretty much everything. But the COVID burden is adding a great deal to it all," said Weaver.