Fresno-area hospitals signal an S.O.S. due to COVID surge. Here’s how you can help

With hospitals and other medical facilities around the central San Joaquin Valley overrun due to the local surge of COVID-19 cases, a unified distress message was sent out Saturday signaling an S.O.S.

Community Health System, Community Regional Medical Center, Health Fresno County and San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation, Kaweah Health, Madera Community Hospital, Saint Agnes Medical Center, Sierra View Medical, Valley Children’s and UCSF Fresno all shared a post to their social media pages, pleading for people to get the vaccine and booster shot to fight off the potentially deadly coronavirus, and help stop the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant, as well as other COVID-19 variants.

In the post, a 30-second video begins with an “S.O.S.” sign and says that hospitals are overwhelmed and emergency rooms pushed toward disaster levels.

“We are signaling for your help,” a message in the S.O.S. video states. “Please get your vaccine and your booster.

“Keep wearing your mask. Practice social distancing. Encourage others to do the same.”

Just within the Community Health Systems, the hospitals as of Friday had 773 members of its workforce out over the past 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19. Many were exposed to the coronavirus while on the job.

The Community Health Systems has been overloaded with COVID-19 cases in the past week with 310 currently positive inpatients and 23 others suspected of having the coronavirus.

And of those cases, the health systems reports that 71% of the patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

“Help save our health care systems,” the S.O.S. video further states, “and the people who take care of us all.”

Entering the weekend, Fresno County alone had logged a total of 167,361 cases of COVID-19, with 2,415 resulting in death. The county going into Friday experienced a daily increase of 2,045 new cases and two more COVID-related deaths.