Hospital capacity concerns causing stress for medical staff

Rochester, New York — COVID’s delta variant is overwhelming some hospitals in the south.

Right now, UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital is under capacity.

According to Dr. Patrick Brophy, on Sunday all 24 pediatric intensive care beds were occupied. The hospital was forced to flex, pulling resources from other departments to meet the demand.

“We’re seeing an early arrival of common respiratory viruses like a respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza and I suspect influenza as well,” he said.

“And the challenge that we have,” he continued, “is, we now have this active delta variant of the COVID virus. And that is also impacting the hospital, not just here but across the country.”

According to Marisa Verni, this situation is anxiety-inducing. Her nine-year-old daughter, Hannah, has been in and out of the hospital her entire life.

“She was born with a really rare condition called Chiari malformation,” said Verni. “It’s when your brain kind of herniates down into your spinal cord.” A surgery about two years ago corrected that, but genetic testing led to the discovery of a severe heart condition, one her mother says will soon need to be addressed. “Through Strong Hospital, she has followed through Golisano for the heart condition,” she said. “And she will need a heart surgery, probably in the near future, to correct that.”

According to Dr. Brophy, the best way the community can help is by getting vaccinated.

“If we can do anything to mitigate COVID on top of all the other things we’ve got going, we need to do it,” he said.