Inundated by coronavirus patients, hospitals in Los Angeles (California) County are running low on vital supplies, including oxygen for patients, according to the Los Angeles Times.  One person is dying every 10 minutes from the coronavirus in the county.

Patients being treated for COVID-19 are given supplemental oxygen, sometimes as high as ten times the normal amount needed, in order for them to absorb enough oxygen to survive, putting a premium on oxygen supplies at medical centers and care facilities.

With beds in intensive care units filled throughout the region, hospitals are also running low on the tubing and other supplies needed to treat patients.  Bedspace is at a premium, with some hospitals requiring patients to remain in an ambulance up eight hours when they arrive at an emergency room. 

“Hospitals have implemented their surge plans and are adjusting staffing and space to try to meet the needs of their community,” Dr. Sharon Balter, the county’s chief of communicable disease control and prevention, wrote in a letter to healthcare providers. “It is critical that as a healthcare community we look at all available opportunities to help decrease the surge on hospitals and our 911 system, where possible.”

In a sign of how grim the conditions are, patient advocates are advising patients to ensure that they have their instructions for advanced care and end-of-life care completed before going into a hospital.