Having A Hospital Bed Is Something We’ve Taken For Granted

Governor Tim Walz addressed the state on Wednesday night where he put in place some new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. Cases have been spiking in the Midwest, and it is putting a strain on our health system. In the statistics that were given, as of Wednesday there were only 7 critical care beds available in Northeastern Minnesota.

Now there may be other hospital beds open, but we are talking about the ones you end up in when the medical professionals are trying to save your life. 85 of those have been filled and only 7 more remained open as of Wednesday (it could be less already.) That's a scary thing, because in my life I've always assumed that if I were to get injured or very sick that I would have a bed available to me. Until now the biggest worry was health care costs. Now it's if I would even be able to receive care. Honestly, I'm not even talking about just COVID complications. What about if someone gets in a car accident? Heart attacks, strokes, accidents, etc. There could not be a bed for you. According to the health professionals, we are trending towards full capacity.

I don't want to be an alarmist, but this was the scariest thing I've personally witnessed since the beginning of the pandemic. In the spring and summer, cases were somewhat managed here in The Northland. In just a couple of weeks it's already getting out of control. We need to realize the severity of the situation.

Yes, odds are you are not going to get so sick from COVID-19 that you will need to be hospitalized. But you need to also remember that other people WILL need to be hospitalized. These restrictions suck and they aren't fair. Unfortunately just because we don't like it doesn't mean we can pretend it's not happening.

Do you know anyone that works in the hospitals? Just ask them. It's not pretty and we need to do our part to support them by social distancing, masking up, and avoiding large gatherings. They are risking their lives to save others. All they are asking is for you to stay home and stay healthy. Give them the time and allow them to use the resources they have to save lives without getting overwhelmed.