Hospitals run low on nurses as they get swamped with COVID

concept-of-sars-cov-2-or-2019-ncov-coronavirus

(AP)- The surge in COVID-19 infections across the U.S. has caused a shortage of nurses and other front-line staff in virus hot spots that can no longer keep up with the flood of unvaccinated patients.

Some facilities are also losing workers to burnout and lucrative out-of-state temporary gigs. Florida, Arkansas and Louisiana all have more people hospitalized with COVID-19 than at any other point in the pandemic.

In Florida, ambulances and fire departments are straining to respond to emergencies. One person who suffered a heart attack in New Orleans was even bounced from six hospitals before finding an emergency room that could take him in.