TEXAS — As the delta variant rages across the state, the spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has Texas hospitals worried about running out of beds for patients. 

What You Need To Know

  • Texas hospitals are running out of beds as cases surge

  • In the past month, hospitalizations for COVID cases have skyrocketed in Austin

  • Dallas and North Texas cases surge

As a palliative care physician, Dr. Mark Casanova is used to providing care for patients who are extremely sick. But he says the current surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations feels different.

“The morbidity and mortality that is unfolding is 100% completely unnecessary and one could argue by choice in some instances, so…there's that added emotional, psychological, frankly spiritual component, a combination of dismay, disbelief and frustration," said Dr. Mark Casanova, Dallas Physician and Member of the Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Task Force. 

He says 97-99% of the COVID patients in the hospital and ICU are not vaccinated. 

“So many of their stories read the same, a 20 to 50-ish sometimes 60-ish-year-old individual who was otherwise healthy. They were fine until they weren't. And COVID has taken them down," said Casanova. 

“I think that's the saddest thing is that that's pretty common for the patient when they come into the [Emergency Department], they usually come in through the ED and then go to the ICU. When they first come in, they ask and say, 'can I go ahead and get vaccinated now?' At that point, it's too late," said April Kapum, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 

In the past month, hospitalizations for COVID cases have skyrocketed in Austin and across the state, stretching ICU capacity extremely thin. In the trauma service area that includes Austin and the surrounding counties, there are only 19 ICU beds available. 

It’s a similar situation in Dallas and the North Texas region. 

“At our peak in the winter, there were days that our ICU staff bed capacity was down into the high teens. And if these numbers in this trajectory holds…  I have very little doubt we're going to get back to that if not even tighter ICU capacity," said Casanova. 

He hopes the message gets across before hospitals are completely overwhelmed. 

“In a viral pandemic, the approach of 'you do you and I'll do me' simply doesn't work…the best way that you can do you is to get a vaccine, and let's all collectively get through this and past this," said Casanova.