Grady Hospital reaches full capacity as delta variant surges

ATLANTA - Gady Health System has reached its full capacity as patients overwhelm hospitals due to the highly contagious delta variant, the system's top health official said.

"We are full we are at capacity," Chief Medical Officer Robert Jansen said.

It’s been a long 17 months for Dr. Robert Jansen who said, "The numbers unfortunately are going up rapidly. It’s an exponential curve we are experiencing with more cases coming in every day." 

On a daily basis, the hospital is being tasked with treating an increasing number of patients who are infected with the COVID-19 delta variant.  

"We are not where we were in January when we reached our peak but if we continue with this trend then we can equal that or we can surpass it," Dr. Jansen reported.

Like other hospitals across the country, there’s a familiar trend with those needing extra treatment.

"The people who are coming in are primarily unvaccinated. There are very few vaccinated people but we have had some people admitted who were vaccinated but most of them had not received both doses or just started the vaccine sequence," Jansen said.

Jansen also said the delta variant differs from the original virus and compared the variant's rapid spread to other diseases like chickenpox.

However, Dr. Jansen did emphasize the current vaccine's effectiveness.

"There’s a lot of misinformation about the vaccine and it’s safety. This is probably the most tested vaccine in our history," Jansen said. "Grady’s first case was in March of 2020 and this is our fourth wave. The staff is tired and they are frustrated."

Jansen said it’s those heroes, although tired and weary, who still show up each and every day.

"People are still doing their job. They don’t have the luxury to say they aren’t going to do it anymore. They come to work every day and take care of the patients that are here."

Jansen said he also sees an increase in those who are symptomatic and who don’t get tested or quarantine appropriately.

Dr. Jansen stresses the importance of the basics like washing hands, wearing masks, and appropriate social distancing.

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