In the USA, numerous hospitals are postponing operations that are not urgently needed due to the rapidly increasing number of corona cases in order to keep beds free for corona patients and to respond to staff shortages. Corresponding announcements have already been made from more than half of all states, according to a Reuters analysis of public communications and local media reports.
Most of the areas where clinics suspend what is known as elective surgery saw either a high or an increase in daily hospital occupancy rates for corona patients in December or January. The seven-day average of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals rose by 60 percent compared to last week to 16,458 per day, according to the authorities. At the same time, over 82 percent of the beds in intensive care units nationwide are occupied, 27 percent with corona patients.