NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sumner Regional Medical Center's Chief Medical Officer said hospitals are running out of beds as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
The hospital shared a Facebook post from Chief Medical Officer Geoff Lifferth who said this past week has been one of the most exhausting and disheartening of his career.
He said hospitals have seen a 1000% increase in COVID patients in hospitals in Tennessee over the past six weeks.
"The delta variant has burned through us with a ferocity that’s hard to describe. 6 weeks ago there were 200 Covid patients in hospitals in Tennessee. Today there are 2000. A 1000% increase. In 6 weeks. It has overwhelmed tired doctors, nurses and healthcare systems that were already stretched thin," the post stated in part.
More than 5,500 Tennesseans have tested positive for the virus since Wednesday. The last time we saw a new case count higher than that was on January 16. More than 6,900 people tested positive that day.
More than 2,000 people are battling the virus right now in hospitals across the state, which is causing hospitals to run out of available beds.
Currently, 7% of ICU beds and 10 percent of floor beds are available in Tennessee.
