New York City’s rising COVID-19 cases, long lines for testing, and event cancellations can feel a bit like a already seen. However, hospitals in the Big Apple are not repeating the sudden increases that once filled emergency rooms at the beginning of the pandemic.
The state reported Saturday that nearly 22,000 people had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the previous day’s mark for the highest total of new cases in a single day since the tests became widely available. More than half of the positive results were in the city.
On Friday, the Rockettes canceled the remaining presentations of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, citing “the mounting challenges of the pandemic.” Lines at some test sites in the city stretched around the block and home tests were still hard to come by, or more expensive than usual.
But new hospitalizations and deaths, so far, are averaging well below the peak of the spring of 2020 and even where they were at this time last year, during a winter wave that came when vaccines were just getting started, researchers show. city data.
Mount Sinai Health System emergency rooms are treating approximately 20% more patients, with all conditions, in recent days, according to Dr. Eric Legome, who oversees two of the network’s seven emergency rooms. But at least so far, “we are seeing far more coronavirus patients being treated and discharged” than in previous waves, he said.
Many seek tests, help with mild or moderate symptoms, or monoclonal antibody treatment, but very few require oxygen or a hospital stay, Legome said. Manage emergency rooms in Mount Sinai West Y Mount Sinai Morningside.
Hospital admissions and deaths tend to rise and fall weeks after cases do. But Dr. Fritz François, chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone HealthHe says that so far, “we’re actually seeing something different” than in previous waves.
For one thing, COVID-19 patients go home a bit faster, he said.
NYU Langone has seen a small increase in COVID-19 patients, now totaling about 80 at its various New York City and Long Island hospitals. That’s about 80% less than the count at the top of last winter’s wave, François said.
NYU Langone it continues to renew its plans to handle a surge if it comes, but that preparation is simply “the new normal,” he said.
In the extensive system of Northwell HealthAlso, “we will be prepared to do it again if it happens,” but vaccines and nearly two years of experience make the picture different now, said Dr. John D’Angelo, chief of integrated operations.
“I’m sure we will get through this, but this time there are some challenges that I think we will have to think about carefully,” he said.
Among them: The potential for more staff to be sick or quarantined as the Omicron variant spreads at a time when many hospitals across the country have been understaffed, for various reasons. Northwell laid off about 1,400 people, about 2% of its staff, earlier this fall for refusing to get vaccinated. Still, D’Angelo said he has enough staff to handle his projected needs.
NorthwellThe largest private healthcare system in the state with nearly two dozen hospitals in and around New York City, it had about 400 COVID-19 positive patients as of Friday, up from around 300 a few weeks ago. but a fraction of the 1,350 at one point last January, not to mention 3,500 in early spring 2020.
About a quarter are vaccinated, up from 10-15% a month ago, mostly people with underlying health problems, D’Angelo said.
The hospital system NewYork-Presbyterian It said it has seen a “slow but steady” increase in COVID-19 admissions, but all of its hospitals are operating normally.
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