ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas's ICU capacity has plummeted recently, as the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread.
"It's been a roller coaster," Elizabeth Sullivan, an ICU nurse at UAMS, said. "A little over capacity for ICU beds. We're actually making ICU beds out of units that are not meant to be for ICU patients."
As cases rise and capacity drops, Sullivan said it feels like the hope they once had is now dwindling.
"Now it's back down. People are just so devastated. Working 40-plus hours extra a week," she said.
As of Thursday afternoon, 1,172 ICU beds total are in Arkansas. Just 36 are available.
"The problem we're running into now is that all of the hospitals seem to be at capacity and not able to do much flexing at all," Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, Director of Preparedness at the Arkansas Department of Health, said.
She said this is a statewide issue, not just one here in central Arkansas.
"The fact that statewide there are so few ICU beds, that is a dismal situation and very, very concerning," Jones said.
Sullivan said the worst part is that this was avoidable.
"It's absolutely depressing, again, because it is so preventable," she said. "Get your vaccine, wear your mask, social distance, all of these things are how we're going to fight this and beat this."
But working through this surge isn't an easy task.
There are two groups of people who are fighting for one bed.
"We're not set up to house these patients that require one-to-one level of care, two-to-one level of care for extended periods of time," Jones said. "We're just not set up that way."
Sullivan said this will remain an issue for awhile, unless change happens soon.
"There will become a time when, it's kind of like in the middle of battle, you have to triage patients and decide who can I take care of," she said. "If things don't change in the next three months or less, we will be there."