As Acadiana hospitals brace for more COVID patients, one hospital has set up a tent for overflow.
Due to an increase in the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 at Ochsner St. Mary says that the hospital set up an air-conditioned tent outside its Emergency Department to serve as a triage area to test patients who have been exposed to COVID, but are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
"Ochsner St. Mary has set up an air condition tent near the ER in the event that the influx patients in the ER continue to rise. Currently 75% of acute inpatients at Ochsner St. Mary are COVID patients," a spokeswoman for the hospital told KATC on Sunday.
Ochsner St. Mary says that with the influx of patients presenting to the Emergency Department, wait times are considerably longer than usual and hospital staff is working diligently to treat patients.
"If you have a minor illness or no symptoms of COVID-19, please consider seeing your primary care provider," they say.
The following resources were provided by Ochsner St. Mary for patients
- If you have a minor illness or no symptoms of COVID-19, please consider seeing your primary care provider, or find a COVID-19 testing location near you by visiting the LDH website.
- If you would like to be vaccinated against COVID-19, please call 844-888-2772 or visit my.ochsner.org to schedule a vaccine appointment. Anyone ages 12 and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine.
- For more information about COVID-19, please visit www.ochsner.org/coronavirusfor FAQs and resources.
St. Mary Parish is located in Region 3 for the Office of Public Health.
Last week, we reported that there were three ICU beds available in Region 4 out of 156 total. More than 1,000 people are hospitalized across the state with COVID-19, and 162 of those people are on ventilators.
"The transmission is very high. We know that this Delta variant is very infectious, contagious ... I've heard reports of one person being able to infect up to five to eight people if they are around them unprotected. That is incredibly high numbers and continues to only make the spread that much faster," Chief Medical Officer at Ochsner Lafayette General Dr. Amanda Logue said during a press conference with Our Lady of Lourdes Friday afternoon.
To read that story, click here.
