NJ hospitals bracing for winter COVID surge

NEW JERSEY - The number of available hospital beds in New Jersey is already beginning to dwindle, weeks before most expect the omicron surge to peak across the region.

"We've seen a 150% increase in hospitalizations over the last two weeks," said Dr. Sheref Elnahal, President and CEO of Newark's University Hospital. "Our scenario modeling isn't looking good, so right now we're trying to create more space, we're trying to get reinforcements with staffing."

An agreement with University Hospital's nursing school should add 40 clinical-year nursing students to rotations this weekend, but while seeing far fewer ICU and ventilator-reliant patients than the spring of 2020, Dr. Elnahal worries about a post-New Year's spike in admissions.

"Our healthcare workers are extremely strained and stressed yet again," Dr. Elnahal said.

Also not helping that strain? The horn-honking, pot-banging, appreciative spirit Dr. Elnahal says he saw in the spring of 2020 has largely disappeared. 

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