CHICAGO (CBS) — Doctors and patients are dealing with two week waits for COVID-19 test results at some smaller hospitals in Chicago.
St. Anthony Hospital, a small community hospital with only 18 beds for the acutely ill, now has 11 of its 18 intensive care unit beds occupied by patients who have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“We call it a level three disaster,” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul. “It is overwhelming the system.”
Sahloul runs the ICU at St. Anthony with a team of other dedicated doctors and nurses. He says they are doing their best to save lives, but it’s a challenge when many of the black patients they are treating for coronavirus have underlying chronic illnesses. Plus, compared to non-minorities they come to the emergency room much later.
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