Rising case counts and dwindling hospital capacity have moved Nebraska into "a dangerous period" of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and physicians from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine said Monday.
In a joint statement, the medical professionals said the decision by state and local leaders to relax restrictions first put into place in March to control the spread of COVID-19 has allowed more people to contract the virus.
And now, as flu season approaches, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine professionals warned that hospitals could be overrun if Nebraskans don't take action to slow the spread by wearing masks, avoiding indoor gatherings or large groups, and observing hygiene recommendations.
"The thought of having a flu season and a COVID-19 pandemic on top of it at the same time makes us extremely uneasy," said Dr. Daniel Johnson, the division chief of critical care at Nebraska Medicine.
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The Omaha hospital exceeded its ICU capacity in May, when the pandemic was at its first peak in Nebraska, Johnson said, but the hospital was able to dedicate three additional units to COVID-19 to alleviate the pressure.
That allowed UNMC and Nebraska Medicine to also care for patients from other regions of the state that did not have the ability to treat patients with COVID-19.
As it began that earlier surge, UNMC was at 50% capacity. Now, with case counts "rapidly rising" and a second surge on the horizon, capacity is already at 85%, according to Johnson.
Statewide, 35% of hospital beds remain available, according to the COVID-19 dashboard, including 33% of ICU beds and 78% of ventilators.
In Lincoln, hospitalizations remained high Monday, with 61 COVID-19 patients in hospital care. That includes 36 county residents and 11 who needed ventilators.
A spokesman for Gov. Pete Ricketts said hospitals across the state remain under capacity and the state's chief medical director, Dr. Gary Anthone, remains in close contact with hospital systems across the state to ensure hospitals don't exceed capacity.
Johnson warned that unless Nebraskans double their efforts to observe social distancing and wearing masks, there won't be beds available in the state's hospital systems.
"The assumption that if you get sick we're going to have a hospital bed for you is a false assumption," he added.
Additional capacity at UNMC could be created once more, said Mark Rupp, an infectious disease expert, but that would likely require curtailing elective surgeries, lowering the capacity in ambulatory clinics and redirecting some patients to temporary shelters built on the hospital campus.
In the statement, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine said the "sensible and strong actions" Nebraska took to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic allowed it to keep its fatality rate among the lowest in the country.
"We built a solid structure of community protection," the letter reads, "but like the game of Jenga, we steadily have removed block after block of that tower: lifting limitations of occupancy inside restaurants, opening bars, allowing large gatherings and opening schools at full student density."
As restrictions were pulled back, case counts began to accelerate, the letter states.
With some communities considering rolling back requirements that face coverings be worn in public places — as the Omaha City Council will consider Tuesday — the medical team warned "the entire structure may collapse."
Rupp said he disagreed with the idea that Omaha, which has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases since the disease was found in Nebraska in March, should end its mask mandate.
"I do not think this is the time to rescind the mask mandate for the city of Omaha," Rupp said in response to a question from reporters. "This is the time to expand that mandate throughout the state."
Taylor Gage, on behalf of Ricketts, said Nebraskans have successfully managed through the pandemic without mandates or stay-at-home orders.
"Nebraskans have followed the rules when asked to do so, while mandates breed resistance," Gage said. "The governor has relentlessly encouraged Nebraskans to wear a mask when they go to the store, and Nebraskans have overwhelmingly followed this advice."
He added that Ricketts remains confident in the state's ability to continue managing COVID-19 levels in the state through the fall and beyond.
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the state had 452 additional cases Monday for a total of 48,259. There were two new deaths, both in Lincoln, linked to the virus, bringing the state total to 503.Â
In their letter, the medical team at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine said the coronavirus is not a political or ideological issue, and that their advice to Nebraskans would be the same "regardless of political leadership at any level."
Any notion that the coronavirus is a hoax or not real "could not be further from the truth," Rupp added.
They also said while they understand "pandemic fatigue" has set in — even for health care providers — now is not time for complacency.
"It's quite evident that this is very impactful and we need to take it seriously," Rupp said. "The data speaks for itself. The number of cases rising, the hospitalizations rising. Nothing could be more plain."
See the top stories on coronavirus in Lincoln and Nebraska since the pandemic first affected the area in March.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
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