AdventHealth is now at red level status again as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the area.
This highest level of caution means that elective outpatient surgeries may be deferred at this time.
There are currently some 862 COVID-19 patients at AdventHealth Central Florida hospitals throughout the area, near the peak of 900 patients in January.
Medical Director Dr. Victor Herrera says the ICU is completely full at this time with mostly unvaccinated people.
“And I just want to close with something that has been now a common theme that we hear from patients that are in the hospital, get very sick and need to go to the ICU and one that I had heard from a patient which is right before he was about to be intubated, 'I wish I had received the vaccine'.”
[audio mp3="https://www.wmfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/13008_INTUBATE_DANIELLE.mp3"][/audio]
Herrera says they’re seeing a disturbing trend when it comes to the number of pregnant women in these ICU beds.
"And we currently have pregnant women intubated in our ICUs. This is a reminder to our community and pregnant women to consider the COVID-19 vaccine and to have that conversation with their doctors. Again we don’t know yet if this is related to the Delta variant but clearly there is a higher number of pregnant women very sick with COVID-19 right now compared to before.”
[audio wav="https://www.wmfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/13009_PREGNANT_DANIELLE.wav"][/audio]
Herrera says it is completely safe for both mom and baby to get any of the three vaccines.
This new status means medical leadership must give pre-approval for any non-time sensitive procedures. Outpatient surgery sites can continue as scheduled. Pediatric surgeries can continue without limitation.
