Kentucky hospital systems are struggling to cope with a wave of COVID-19 patients as the delta variant continues to ravage the state.

Kentucky set records for the most COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the past two days. Currently, Norton Healthcare treats 192 COVID-19 patients, UofL Health treats 136 patients, and Baptist Health treats 141 patients.

Governor Andy Beshear greeted doctors and staff at UofL Health’s Mary and Elizabeth Hospital on Wednesday morning to thank healthcare workers as part of Kentucky’s Health Heroes Appreciation Week.

“As a people, we cannot thank you enough for your sacrifice, for your work, for your resilience,” Beshear told the crowd.

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His visit comes at a time when hospitals in the state are experiencing their biggest increase in patients since the start of the pandemic. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital went from six intensive care patients to 21 in just two weeks, according to head nurse Pam Akins.

“This virus is real. It kills people. It makes them very sick and the hospital workers are tired. They are exhausted and they cannot continue like this,” Akins said.

Aundrea Lewis is the head nurse at UofL Health Peace Hospital, where they are also suffering from the outbreak.

“We actually had a designated COVID behavioral health unit that we closed a few weeks ago thinking we had passed that and now we had to reopen our unit last Thursday,” Lewis said.

This unit now has 15 COVID-19 patients.

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Hospital systems are also seeing more and more younger patients in need of treatment.

“I would say the average age is over around 50 in our intensive care unit right now, whereas before they were 70,” Akins said.

Norton Healthcare currently has 13 COVID-19 pediatric hospitalizations.

Hospitalizations are now increasing at such an alarming rate that some health systems are starting to wonder what kind of care they will be able to provide if this continues.

“It’s worrying, do we have enough staff? Do we have enough equipment to support the next wave? Does it stop before we run out of people,” Akins said. .

Beshear called the situation “catastrophic”.

“Hospitals are so crowded that it’s a dangerous time to be in a car accident, to have a heart attack, to have a stroke,” Beshear said.

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According to the governor, FEMA has approved the state’s request for two EMS response teams to assist with the transfer of patients and is awaiting approval from eight additional medical teams. The Kentucky National Guard will soon be deployed to some of the hardest-hit hospitals in the state.

Beshear also confirmed that he is continuing conversations with legislative leaders and that a special session is still on the table to discuss further actions.

“Some people think we should call him tomorrow and say to the legislature, ‘That’s what you asked for. Go ahead.’ But that’s not fair. It’s about red or blue type politics. It’s about life or death, “Beshear said.

Right now, the governor says the best way for people to help stop the outbreak and to thank our health workers is to get vaccinated.