Delta Variant: US regulator warns sections of health system are ‘in dire straits’

*The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions Americans, that some parts of the health system currently, ‘are in dire straits’ amid the spread of the damaging COVID-19 Delta variant, forcing some states to prepare for rationed medical care

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has disclosed that some parts of the health system in the American country “are in dire straits” as the spread of the damaging COVID-19 Delta variant forces some states to prepare for rationed medical care.

ConsumerConnect gathered Rochelle Walensky, Head of CDC, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation”, “that means that we are talking about who is going to get a ventilator, who is going to get an ICU bed.”

“Those are not easy discussions to have, and that is not a place we want our health care system to ever be.”

Report indicates Idaho, among the least-vaccinated states in the US, and Alaska have notified that hospitals can begin to ration medical care if needed.

A major hospital in Montana also implemented so-called “crisis of care standards” to prioritize who is treated. Health officials warned the measure could be widened across the state, report stated.

It is also observed that the highly transmissible Delta surge has moved in intensity around the country, now hitting the northwest.

Nationwide, the number of people dying in hospitals appears to have peaked, according to US Department of Health and Human Service data.

Walensky also defended her recent decision to overrule a panel of CDC advisers and broaden eligibility for third shots (boosters) of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE COVID-19 Vaccine.

This publication had reported the seeming confusion over endorsement the vaccine boosters between the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The CDC panel had approved boosters for those ages 65 and older, those in long-term healthcare facilities and those ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.

The Head of CDC, however, went further, ruling that people at high risk of exposure at work or elsewhere may also receive a third dose.

Walensky has descried her decision in this regard as “a scientific close call,” adding, “I felt it was appropriate for those people to also be eligible for boosters,” she said.

She stressed that it is hoped the boosters would be safe for children to go trick-or-treating this Halloween.

“If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely.

“Limit crowds. I wouldn’t necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick or treating in small groups,” she added.

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