Omicron LI Cases 25%; Hospital: 'Very High Influx Of Patients'

VALLEY STREAM, NY — As the omicron cases top 25 percent on Long Island, hospitals across the area are once again pushed to the breaking point in dealing with the coronavirus.

At Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital, it has been several weeks of "enduring a very high influx of patients," Dr. Salvatore Pardo, Chairman, Emergency Department, told Patch.

He said those patients are wanting an evaluation for COVID-19 symptoms that include fever and scratchy throat.

During the past few weeks, Pardo said the hospital's emergency department was inundated with extra patients, many just seeking a test.

Compounding the treatment and the holiday season, "we had a high rate of sick staff members that needed to get pulled from the work pool," Pardo said.

The hospital's seen a large uptick in COVID-19 positivity. LIJ Valley Stream had approximately 10 ill patients in November. That number has increased 10-fold in recent days.

Pardo said that has caused a strain on the staff, leading to a long wait for patients in the emergency department. At times, the hospital has needed to save some space by transporting patients to other hospitals in their health system.

But, compared to the initial surge in 2020, "The severity of the illness has been much less this time around," Pardo said. "The rate of intensive care is lower [and fewer] deaths in the hospital."

The doctor cautions they are still seeing "a fair number of severe [illnesses]."

As for those requiring hospitalization while the omicron remains highly contagious, the majority of patients are unvaccinated or without a booster shot. He said their ICU has 2 out of 3 cases of unvaccinated patients.

However, there is a silver lining for Pardo at his hospital, and others in the area.

"We are probably at our peak. There is evidence that it's already starting to ebb a little bit," Pardo said.