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The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the city is “greater than ever and continues to increase,” said Dr. Grant Colfax. As of Thursday, 107 people were in the hospital and 25% of them were in intensive care, he said.
“Let me be clear. We are in a big wave of COVID-19,” said Colfax. “The virus is moving fast and more people are becoming seriously ill.”
San Francisco has 6,197 confirmed cases and 57 deaths. The city went from 5,000 to 6,000 cases of coronavirus in 10 days.
At the current rate of spread, Colfax estimates that San Francisco will have more than 750 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in mid-October and more than 600 deaths by the end of the year.
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The worst possible scenarios show 2,400 hospitalizations and 1,800 deaths.
“Unfortunately, these scenarios become more likely as the day goes on,” Colfax said.
“If you’re putting pressure on 750 patients per quarter in the ICU, we’re on the edge at the time,” said UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford. “And then if something else happens, if there is a big flu outbreak, if there is some kind of disaster, if we have to start pulling people out of the fires, that’s where we start to run out of space.”
The increase in hospitalizations is the main reason San Francisco is on the state’s COVID-19 watch list and the reason it has halted its reopening plan indefinitely.
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“Please wear a mask. It really isn’t that difficult,” Colfax stated. “I want to see San Francisco opening schools instead of medical sites, and I know you do too.”
To create more space in the San Francisco hospital, the city has turned a building in the Presidio into a center of attention. It’s ready to go right now, in case the city needs to transfer low-acuity non-COVID-19 patients out of crowded hospitals.
“Unfortunately, other ailments are not stopped only by the pandemic. Opening this facility will allow the city to shore up our medical resources,” said District 2 supervisor Catherine Stefani, who collaborated on the new care site, which if necessary it will initially be opened for 20 patients, with a capacity of 93.
“It is not a fall at the acute care site, test site, or shelter. So do not visit this place if you are looking for any of those services,” said Stefani.
Colfax asked the Franciscans to help avoid that scenario.
“Everyone should behave as if each of us has COVID-19. No matter how you feel or look, or even if you have a negative test, be careful.”
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