St. Francis Hospital sees spike in hospitalizations among unvaccinated individuals

TODAY IS A SIMPLE ONE: IF YOUHAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED YET,PLEASE VISIT WITH YOUR DOCTORABOUT IT."AS THE DELTA VARIANT BECOMESTHE DOMINANT STRAIN NATIONWIDE....TULSA HOSPITALS ARE SEEINGAN INFLUX OF COVID-19 PATIENTS.2 NEWS OKLAHOMA ROEPRTER,JEANETTE QUEZADA, TALKED WITHTHE PHYSICIAN ADMINISTRATOR FROMST.

FRANCIS HOSPITAL ABOUT WHATTHEY'VE BEEN SEEING... AND THEPREVENTATIVME EASURES YOU CANTAKE TO PROTECT YOURSELF ANDYOUR LOVED ONES.HEALTH LEADERS ARE NOW CALLINGTHIS THE PANDEMIC OF THEUNVACCINATED - SAYING MOST OFTHE HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE MADE UPOF THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVEDTHE VACCINE."Hospitalizations are on therise in fact in the last 10days, our number of hospitalizedpatients has doubled."MARK FROST IS THE CHIEF MEDICALOFFICER FOR ST.

FRANCIS HEALTHSYSTEM.HE SAYS THEIR HOSPITAL IS NOWseeing OVER 100 COVID-19 CASESON A DAILY BASIS.FROST SAYS AS OF TODAY - THEYHAVE 12 PATIENTS ON VENTILATORSFOR COVID-19.HE SAYS THE SPIKE IS DUE TO THEDELTA VARIANT, WHICH ISSPREADING RAPIDLY AND IS HIGHLYCONTAGIOUS."Another warning to everyonethat if you are in public andyou're not mskaed and you're notvaccinated in our community youare much more likely to getinfected this year than you werelast ye arbecause the Deltavariant is so prominent and itis so much more contagious."FROST SAYS THE OVERWHELMINGMAJORITY OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONSAT ST.

FRANCIS ARE PATIENTS WHOARE WERE NOT VACCINATED."That is a great concern tothose of us that work inhealthcare, that people are nottaking advantage of thisopportunity to get vaccinatedand essentially to save theirlives and the lives of others.'FROST SAYS THE RISE IN CASES ISCAUSING A STRAIN FOR HEALTHSYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRYBECAUSE BEDS ARE FILLING UPQUICKLY.HE SAYS EVERY DAY THEY HAVE TOCAREFULLY LOOK AT THEIR BEDSITUATION."Today we were at full capacityat the start of the day so eervyday we typically start of thatway with patients holding in theemergency room because all ofour beds are full, as the dayprogresses we're able todischarge patients and get themsent homeby late in the dayearly evening we have most ofour patients in bed, butovernight we again end up with abacklog of patients waiting inthe emergency room for a bed."TODAY THE TULSA HEALTHDEPARTMENT RELEASED A STATEMENTURGING EVERYONE WHO ISUNVACCINATED TO GET VACCINATED.THEY ALSO ASKED FOR ANY ONE ATHIGH RISK TO CONTINUE WEARING AFACE-MASK INDOORS AND FOLLOWSOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINESREGARDLESS OF VACCINATIONSTATUS."I was very pleased to hear thatthe Tulsa Health Department wasmaking that recommendation, Iwould strongly encourage folks,when you're out in public toresume wearing a mask because ofthe prevalence rate right now ofthe disease in our cmmuonity.COMING UP AT SIX-I'LL TELL YOU WHAT DR. FROSTRECOMMENDs for schools as they