Report: State could run out of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients in 6 weeks if trends continue
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) — If current COVID-19 trends continue in the state of North Carolina, hospitals could run out of beds for treating patients in six weeks if the current rate of increase for hospitalizations continues, new research from UNC and Duke Health doctors shows.
According to the report published on Tuesday, a faster rate of increase would mean hitting capacity in 4 weeks and a slower growth rate would mean hitting capacity in 12 weeks.
As of December 5, there were 20,784 inpatient hospital beds reported to be staffed statewide, the report says. Of those, 14,089 were occupied by non-COVID-19 patients, 2,198 were occupied by COVID-19 patients, and 4,497 beds were reported to be available for new patient admissions.
Should the current trend continue, the report found that North Carolina currently has about a six-week runway of available hospital beds. “Runway” is the amount of time (measured in weeks) until hospitals may reach or exceed their inpatient or intensive care unit (ICU) capacity.
The research — done by the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy — also found that some regions are in better shape than others.
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