INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis health care providers are pleading with the community to help do its part to fight COVID-19.
"We can't do this alone," was the message shared in a full-page newspaper advertisement by an alliance of Community Health Network, IU Health and Eskenazi hospitals.
Medical executives from all three three health systems signed the ad encouraging Hoosiers to protect themselves through vaccination, masking, and testing.
"The situation is dire," reads the message, which explains how there are fewer beds than patients who need them and healthcare workers are exhausted. According to Community Health, patients are being held in the emergency department until beds become available. Other areas are being converted to inpatient units to accommodate the current surge of coronavirus cases.
Statistics provided by Community Health Monday
- 1 in 5 hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients
- 90% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are not vaccinated
- Of intensive care patients (ICU), 1 in 3 have COVID-19
On Sunday, Indiana confirmed its first case of the omicron variant, which is a highly contagious form of the COVID-19 virus and expected to negatively impact the current situation.
Hospital leaders are urging people with mild cases of COVID-19 to avoid the emergency department and instead seek care at a MedCheck or Urgent Care facility.
The newspaper ad is part of a larger overall marketing campaign that also includes paid social media, radio, and television.