Thread by @BethWListon

Hospitals in Ohio are very busy right now. More than 3000 people are currently admitted in OH from #COVID19. While we have surge capacity and we are lucky our state has a strong system plan to take care of more people, this impacts health for anyone sick in Ohio. 1/10

The impact goes well beyond the health effects of #COVID19 itself on people and their loved ones. It isn't just about having room or staff to admit COVID patients. It is also about the care that all people who are hospitalized receive. 2/10

3000 extra people in the hospitals means that we are all working at our maximum capacity. It means that we have to rush from person to person as there are always many waiting to be seen. 3/10

3000 extra people in the hospitals means that we have less time to think and re-consider if the initial diagnosis was correct. We have to assume common things are common, and we can't spend that extra 20 min to read back further in your chart, or look up that latest study. 4/10

3000 extra people in the hospitals means communication suffers. It is tough to pull up a chair and talk through all of the questions people have about their health. It is tough to have family meetings, or call a loved one in the middle of the night when something seems off. 5/10

3000 extra people in the hospitals means the care is slower. Getting that CT scan may take hours instead of minutes, specialists may take days instead of hours to give their input. 6/10

Is this the care you want if you suddenly develop chest pain? 7/10

All of us in the hospital work hard to give the best care possible. But when the system is strained, everything strains for everyone who is sick. 8/10

We can not wait until hospitals are full, or we 'run out' of qualified staff. We are on a path where this is a real concern - but the impacts on health in Ohio come well before that - for those with COVID19 AND those without. 9/10

We must change the course of the disease. #WearAMask EVERYTIME you go out. #SocialDistance EVERYWHERE you go. If you can stay home - do. Cancel those plans. Change things to virtual. Do this for your family, your friends, yourself - and us all. Thank you. 10/10