Hospitals in 15 States May Exceed Bed Capacity Because of Swine Flu
Swine flu could lead to a shortage of hospital beds in at least fifteen states. USA Todayreports that a report from Trust for America's Health found that 15 states will face a shortage of hospital beds if 35% of Americans get sick from the H1N1 (swine) flu virus. The report also found that another 12 states could reach or exceed 75% of their hospital bed capacity.
The 15 states that could be at capacity or exceed hospital bed capacity are: Arizona (117 percent); California (125 percent); Connecticut (148 percent); Delaware (203 percent); Hawaii (143 percent); Maryland (143 percent); Massachusetts (110 percent); Nevada (137 percent); New Jersey (101 percent); New York (108 percent); Oregon (107 percent); Rhode Island (143 percent); Vermont (108 percent); Virginia (100 percent); and Washington (107 percent).
The 12 states that could be at 75% to 99% of hospital bed capacity are: Colorado (88 percent); Florida (80 percent); Georgia (78 percent); Maine (83 percent); Michigan (79 percent); New Hampshire (84 percent); New Mexico (93 percent); North Carolina (95 percent); Pennsylvania (77 percent): South Carolina (93 percent); Utah (83 percent); and Wisconsin (75 percent).
The estimates were created using the FluSurge model developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can read more about the report here on Trust for America's Health's website.