ICU patients in their 20s in ME as vaccines protect elders

[Acadie]

A friend who works in a Covid care unit in Maine says their census has never been so high. Average age of patient in ICUs is 45.

https://www.pressherald.com/2021/05/06/maine-hospitals-see-surge-of-unvaccinated-covid-19-patients-requiring-intensive-care/?fbclid=IwAR16upyR7TB_-RMEFi6aNPvCrFN4pDH_g3kTY6wVPVE-zzHk0DaHhS7TXRQ

Dr. Joan Boomsma, chief medical officer for MaineHealth, the state’s largest hospital network and parent of Maine Medical Center in Portland, said that during the winter surge about 3 in 10 of its patients hospitalized with COVID-19 required intensive care, but that now the proportion is at least 6 in 10.

“The good news is that we are seeing vaccinations work in the older populations that have been vaccinated – they’re not in the hospital or becoming critically ill,” Boomsma said. “But there does seem to be a higher percentage of younger age groups that are getting very sick, and that could be because the new variants are more virulent.”

“The number of COVID inpatients is smaller, but they are significantly sicker,” he said. “We’re not talking about people in their 70s or 80s anymore, but individuals who are under the age of 50, and that’s concerning.”

The ratio is especially extreme at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, which – unique among the state’s major hospitals – has been experiencing its heaviest COVID-19 inpatient burden in recent weeks and set a single-day record of 21 such patients on Wednesday. Sixteen of those patients, or more than three-quarters, were in the ICU.

“It’s a frightening shift – it’s not even subtle,” said Dr. Al Teng, chief of critical care at CMMC’s parent, Central Maine Healthcare. “Patients who were critically ill in previous COVID waves were in their 60s, 70s and 80s, but now we’re seeing them in their 20s. It’s quite a stark progression.”

Edited May 7, 2021 by Acadie

[Frances]

We’ve also been seeing this in my state, although not quite as young in general as in Maine. Also due primarily to the variants. Unfortunately, our immunization rate has really dropped despite everyone being eligible, so it’s likely not the end of seriously ill younger people being hospitalized. Locally only 1500 out of 5000 vaccine slots were used yesterday at our largest clinic.

https://www.kptv.com/news/oregon-hospitals-seeing-rise-in-younger-covid-19-patients/article_1283db6c-a945-11eb-b82a-8743a0bd8b7b.html

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Frances

[Acadie]

5 minutes ago, Frances said:

 Locally only 1500 out of 5000 vaccine appointments were used yesterday at our largest clinic.

This hurts my heart 😞  

I hope word gets out that younger people are at much greater risk from variants and that vaccines are protective. 

[Ottakee]

My friend that is an ICU doc is saying the same thing.  Patients much younger.  She said that 0% of her ICU patients were fully vaccinated.  She said the vaccines are working but now we are seeing that more and more eligible people aren't getting the vaccines by choice 

 

[SeaConquest]

We are seeing the same in Texas. It's basically a national trend because Wuhan Covid has been replaced by B117 as the dominant strain in most places, which is making people sicker, and the younger folks are less likely to be vaccinated. A nurse in my unit thought she didn't need to be vaccinated because she had Covid already. She got it a second time, likely because she got a new strain. People just aren't understanding that old Covid is gone. These new variants are suped up versions of old Covid and that vaccines are what will protect them, not their prior disease.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/health/b117-covid-variant-young-patients/index.html

[wathe]

Same story in Ontario with our 3rd wave.  Cautious optimism here this week though: cases are finally falling, and ICU numbers creeping ever-so-slowly downward.  Greater than 75% of cases are variant, mostly B.1.1.7.

[Spy Car]

I do hope that people reading this who have not been vaccinated and who have access to vaccines will get off the fence.

And that those who currently have no access remain safe and that vaccines reach you very soon.

Bill

 

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Spy Car

[Frances]

An editorial today from a conservative regarding those choosing not to get vaccinated.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/opinion/herd-immunity-us.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

[Acadie]

10 hours ago, SeaConquest said:

People just aren't understanding that old Covid is gone. These new variants are suped up versions of old Covid and that vaccines are what will protect them, not their prior disease.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/health/b117-covid-variant-young-patients/index.html

That's a great way to put it, that old Covid is gone and prior disease is not protecting people as it did before. 

[Kanin]

10 hours ago, Spy Car said:

I do hope that people reading this who have not been vaccinated and who have access to vaccines will get off the fence.

And that those who currently have no access remain safe and that vaccines reach you very soon.

Bill

 

 

Me, too.