Hurricane Ida is picking up strength as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall as a category 4 hurricane (winds 140 mph) west of New Orleans, Louisiana, sometime late Sunday (the 16 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina striking the same area). Residents as well as the local, state and federal governments are already bracing for the impact of the storm, which is guaranteed to cause significant damage and likely loss of life.
Unfortunately, this natural disaster is happening at the same time the human disaster of the unvaccinated is causing unnecessary strain on the health system:
At the same time hospitals are preparing for the storm, they are still dealing with a fourth surge of the coronavirus. Officials decided against evacuating New Orleans hospitals. There’s little room for their patients elsewhere, with hospitals from Texas to Florida already packed with patients, said Dr. Jennifer Avengo, the city’s health director.
At the state’s largest hospital system, Ochsner Health System, officials ordered 10 days worth of fuel, food, drugs and other supplies and have backup fuel contracts for its generators. One positive was that the number of COVID-19 patients had dropped from 988 to 836 over the past week — a 15% decline.
According to state health officials, the unvaccinated account for 91 percent of current COVID hospitalizations in Louisiana.
The days after Ida hits will be the most fraught for the health system should casualties mount, though as the article points out, preparations have been made for backup food, fuel and drugs. A horrific situation potentially made much worse by the inaction of the unvaccinated to protect themselves, their families and their communities. But by now you don't need us to tell you it didn't have to be this bad.
(Photo: Satellite image of Hurricane Ida in the Gulf of Mexico, taken Friday night/NOAA)
