Midlands hospital faces critical ICU bed shortage, nears record COVID hospitalizations

Lexington Medical Center is experiencing a critical shortage of intensive care unit beds as it approaches a record-high number of COVID-19 patients, hospital officials said.

More than 90% of the West Columbia hospital’s 557 beds were occupied Tuesday morning, including 146, or about 26%, of which were filled with coronavirus patients, Lexington Medical Center spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson said.

“We are approaching our highest number of COVID patients hospitalized at one time ever,” said Wilson, who added that the situation at Lexington Medical Center was “very serious” and encouraged South Carolinians to get vaccinated.

The vast majority of the hospital’s COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, she said.

Only 16% of coronavirus inpatients at Lexington Medical are vaccinated, and just three of the 43 COVID-19 patients in the hospital’s ICU are fully dosed.

South Carolina has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with only 45.3% of eligible residents inoculated, and unvaccinated residents account for the vast majority of recent COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the state, health officials said.

The recent surge of coronavirus patients at Lexington Medical Center comes as cases and hospitalizations skyrocket statewide as the highly contagious delta variant rips through South Carolina’s large unvaccinated population.

Hospitalizations have risen more than tenfold since early July, reaching 1,166 Monday, their highest point since mid-February, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

COVID-19 patients now occupy more than 13% of hospital beds statewide, with more than 27% of those patients occupying space in ICUs and 15% being on ventilators, DHEC data show.

Earlier this week, Lexington Medical Center expanded its coronavirus testing schedule and updated its visitation policies in response to the spike in disease activity.

Only one person is now allowed to visit non-COVID inpatients per day and must wear a mask at all times.

A single visitor is also allowed to accompany non-COVID patients being treated in the emergency department or urgent care centers, but must stay in the patient’s exam room at all times. Visitors also are permitted to help settle patients into their rooms, if they’re admitted.

This story was originally published August 10, 2021 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Midlands hospital faces critical ICU bed shortage, nears record COVID hospitalizations."

Zak Koeske

The State

412-334-2443

Zak Koeske is a projects reporter for The State. He previously covered state government and politics for the paper. Before joining The State, Zak covered education, government and policing issues in the Chicago area. He’s also written for publications in his native Pittsburgh and the New York/New Jersey area.