Kansas has reached another grim marker in its ongoing battle with COVID-19.
After residents became fatigued with the ongoing toll of the virus, they ventured outside more and more, congregated with friends and families, and stopped wearing masks (if indeed they had ever started). Case counts began to climb.
And as long predicted, hospitals throughout the state are now staggering under the weight. The question is not necessarily the number of beds available, although that might be a challenge in some communities. It’s also about staffing those beds, as medical personnel push through exhaustion and illness of their own.
This is very bad.
It’s not simply bad because more people are being swept up in the pandemic. It’s bad because full hospitals and stretched staff don’t make for optimal patient care conditions. We could well see worse outcomes across the board, not just for COVID-19 cases but for anyone who might need to be hospitalized.