Sarasota Memorial Hospital expands ICU to 120 beds, the most since the pandemic began

Sep. 1—Sarasota Memorial Hospital's intensive care unit is now up to 120 beds, the most since the pandemic began and nearly double the normal bed count.

The hospital's ICU normally has 62 beds, but has steadily expanded to accommodate a crush of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

There were 69 COVID-19 patients in the ICU Wednesday.

Sarasota Memorial has been forced to postpone elective surgeries to free up staff and space for the expanded ICU.

Currently, 64% of the hospital's ICU patients have COVID-19 and most are unvaccinated.

Sarasota Memorial also reported three more COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, bringing the total to 85 since Aug. 6.

There have been 15 COVID-19 deaths at the hospital over just the last five days.

The hospital had 265 COVID-19 patients Wednesday, compared with 272 Tuesday.

Sarasota Memorial had a record 291 COVID-19 patients Sunday.

The hospital's COVID-19 patient count has since declined for three days in a row, but remains exceptionally high.

Before the current wave of infections, the largest number of COVID-19 patients at Sarasota Memorial was 130 on July 22, 2020. The hospital now has more than double that number.

Sarasota Memorial is leasing a refrigerated trailer in case more space is needed to store dead bodies amid a surge of COVID-19 fatalities.

Hospitals throughout the state and region have been deluged with COVID-19 patients.

Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton had 90 COVID-19 patients Tuesday and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center 69.

There have been 94 COVID-19 deaths at Manatee Memorial and 49 at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center since June 1.

As of Wednesday 83% of Sarasota Memorial's COVID-19 patients were unvaccinated.

The hospital has seen an uptick in vaccinated COVID-19 patients, prompting public concern and raising questions about the need for booster shots.

Dr. Manuel Gordillo, the hospital's infectious disease expert, addressed some of those questions in a Facebook post Tuesday, offering assurances about the effectiveness of the vaccine while also touching on the booster shot question.

"Vaccines continue to show exceptional efficacy to prevent severe outcomes," he said.

Gordillo looked at all seven vaccinated COVID-19 patients in the ICU Monday and found that six were older than 65 and have more than three other health conditions, or comorbidities, that "raise their risk for more severe disease." He also noted that three are "severely immunocompromised, issues known to lower vaccine efficacy to a significant degree."

"People with multiple comorbidities (illnesses) and the immunocompromised are at higher risk of vaccine failure," Gordillo wrote. "The latter should pursue a third dose, the former will likely need boosters once approved."

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