LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky doctors say a COVID surge is inevitable, but that doesn't mean everyone can't play a part in helping to navigate the situation. It's been said time and time again, but they urge everyone to get vaccinated.
“We all know what's coming and I think it's best to be prepared,” Dr. Joseph Flynn, chief administration officer with the Norton Medical Group and the physician-in-chief with the Norton Cancer Institute, said.
Flynn said after nearly two years of battling the pandemic, the hospital is ready for yet another surge; the question is whether the community is ready to fight back once again.
"The best thing we can do is protect ourselves from getting infected, not getting exposed, not letting our guard down,” Flynn said.
UofL Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Smith said the number of patients in the hospital has doubled in the past four weeks and most of them are unvaccinated.
"We're already tight for beds, and this is going to make that situation even more concerning for us,” Smith said.
He said while Delta is still the dominant variant, he's sure Omicron will eventually take over because it's two-three times more transmissible.
As for supplies, Smith said we can expect those to decrease all well.
"We are looking okay, but we are constraint and the simple fact of the matter is those are limited and we've been moving them around the country as much as possible to support the waves of the virus,” Smith said.
Louisville's 'Say Yes' neighborhood testing program is already seeing a dip in supplies. According to its website, as of Monday, of the nearly 50 locations, about 30 are without at-home tests.
WHAS11 News also reached out to CVS Health. It says it is seeing an increase in demand for tests in certain parts of the country.
Flynn said he hopes the spirit of the holidays urges more people to get vaccinated. If not for themselves, for others.
"To me, it just reminds us all to take some of the hysteria from it and think what can we do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors,” Flynn said.
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