With fewer available hospital beds, Pritzker administration managing
distribution of COVID therapies
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 [December 22, 2021]
By Greg Bishop
(The Center Square) – With
hospitals seeing increased usage of COVID-19 intensive care beds, the
Pritzker administration says it is distributing treatments where it can,
but the focus is on masking and vaccination.
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 19, the number of ICU beds statewide with a
COVID-19 patient went from 457 to 845. That’s still shy of the 1,217 ICU
beds that peaked on Nov. 29, 2020.
From Nov. 29, 2020, to Dec. 19, 2021, the total number of staffed ICU
beds, including COVID, non-covid and vacant beds has decreased statewide
from 3,306 to 3,011, a decline of nearly 300. The total number of
hospital beds during that time went from 32,717 to 31,655, a decline of
1,062.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’s mandated vaccines for
healthcare workers, continued to promote vaccination and masking, but
last week he also discussed getting the COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies
treatment out “everywhere throughout the state.”
“That’s not a small feat, it’s hard to get a hold of them,” Pritzker
said. “There's a bit of a shortage of monoclonal antibodies, but we are
managing that throughout Illinois.”
On Dec. 10, the Illinois Department of Public Health estimated such
treatments prevented 235 hospitalizations in a month’s time.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week talking about managing distribution of
COVID-19 treatments
“IDPH continues to encourage health care providers, including primary
care offices, outpatient clinics, urgent care centers, infusion centers,
dialysis centers, home health services, and hospitals to assess their
capabilities to provide this treatment to their patients quickly after
they have been identified as having COVID-19 and are determined to be at
risk for severe illness or hospitalization,” IDPH said in a statement.
Shipments are generally sent within 1 business day of requests, but
delays can happen.
Those who can get the treatment must weigh more than 80 pounds, be
65 or older or people 12 and older with chronic kidney disease,
heart or lung disease, pregnancy, diabetes or are immunosuppressed.
Treatments must be provided between three and ten days of a positive
test.
The IDPH updated a list of monoclonal treatments that are available
Tuesday.
Pritzker said they’re also managing shipments of a pill treatment.
“Although they are a little less effective than the monoclonal
antibodies, they’re still somewhat effective and so we want to make
sure that those are getting to hospitals across the state,” Pritzker
said.
Outside of treatments for eligible COVID patients,
Pritzker continued to promote vaccination and masking as a form of
protection.
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