By Sahar Chmais
Four ICU beds remain available in Trauma Service Area O (TSA-O); TSA-O serves 11 counties, including Hays and Travis counties.
Not all ICU beds in the area are occupied by COVID-19 cases, but 247 of the 484 occupied ICU beds are coronavirus patients. Lack of ICU bed space not only affects coronavirus patients, but it also means that anyone who needs hospitalization in an ICU may not get the proper attention they need.
Hays County has 62 hospitalized residents due to the virus. Of those hospitalized, 49, or 79%, are unvaccinated. Of those 28 unvaccinated patients, 18 are in the ICU on a ventilator and 10 are in the ICU but not on a ventilator. Only one of the hospitalized vaccinated resident is in the ICU.
Data comes from the Hays County Local Health Department (HCLHD), which receives information from the hospital systems that are accepting COVID-19 patients.
Hays County is still offering free vaccines to anyone ages 12 and older. For those who are homebound, HCLHD can arrange for a mobile vaccine.
