'An astounding feat': Houston area sets new COVID hospitalization record

As of Aug. 18, the Houston area has a set new record for the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations. 

Dr. George Williams, an ICU physician with UTHealth Houston and LBJ Hospital, told Click 2 Houston, that the hospitals are completely full and ICU bed space at many hospitals has become scarce. 

"The Houston region has set a new record for COVID hospitalizations with 3,978. An astounding feat at a time when vaccines are widely available. Yesterday, 790 patients (112 critical) were waiting in these 25 counties for a general or ICU bed," Zach Despart, a reporter that covers Harris County wrote in a tweet.

Williams also stated that a surge in cases and hospitalizations has lead to staffing shortages, but reinforcements are supposed to be on the way from the state and federal government. 

“Thankfully several crisis nurses will be coming online on service. So that’ll be a tremendous relief for our staffing here,” Williams said.

Houston City Councilwoman Abbie Kamin was very direct in what she believes people should do about dealing with the COVID-19 surge. 

"Get the damn shot or stay home," she wrote in a tweet.

This sentiment may come from the fact that Houston, as Williams puts it, currently feels like a war zone in terms of how sick the patients in the hospitals are. 

While Williams was not as explicit in his opinion on what should be done concerning the uptick of cases, he did he believes some things can be done to help keep stop the spread of the virus. Williams told Click 2 Houston that he is urging people to use precautions to stay safe and healthy as cases in the area continue to rise. 

“I just implore people not to take that lightly. Please take every preventative measure you can. Get vaccinated, wash your hands, wear a mask,” Williams said.