To our patients and colleagues,
In this newsletter, we wish to bring to your attention the dire situation we all face due to the high number of patients getting sick from COVID-19. We are implementing even more stringent precautions in our office.
At the time of this newsletter, there are no ICU beds available in Southern California including at Huntington Hospital. The number of people with COVID being admitted to Huntington Hospital, where we all practice, has never been higher. Non-emergency surgeries have been cancelled due to a lack of available beds for the post-op patients. Overflow units and surge tents are being used to handle the volume of sick COVID patients.
We urge everyone to take this matter seriously. Every possible precaution must be taken to avoid being exposed to the virus. As healthcare providers, we cannot understand why so many people will not wear masks or take even minimal precautions to avoid getting sick and even worse, to avoid spreading this virus to others.
The vaccines are coming, but for the next 3-4 months they will probably all go to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staff, first responders, and teachers. The remainder of the population who wants a vaccine probably will not get one until starting in April 2021. This information is subject to change, but this is our perception of the vaccine situation at this time.