Judge Warns That Delta Variant Has Left Dallas with No ICU Beds for Children

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In a stark assessment of the situation in Dallas, County Judge Clay Jenkins stated, “Your child may have to wait for another child to die” due to the overwhelming number of COVID cases among minors as schools reopen.

While some might find Judge Jenkins’s comments alarming, the surge in COVID infections among kids and teens has led to hospitals operating at full capacity, making his warning necessary. Jenkins, along with other state leaders, is contesting Governor Greg Abbott’s recent executive order that prohibits local authorities from implementing mask mandates. During a press conference on August 13, he emphasized the dangers of foregoing masks and vaccinations, stressing the critical importance of getting vaccinated to save lives. Many who initially resisted vaccination and later contracted COVID have urged others to make the choice to get vaccinated before it’s too late.

“In Dallas, there are currently no available ICU beds for children,” Jenkins explained. “If your child is in a car accident, has a congenital heart condition, or, more likely, suffers from COVID and requires an ICU bed, there simply isn’t one available. Your child will have to wait for another child to pass away.”

This shortage isn’t confined to Dallas; Jenkins indicated that 19 adjacent counties are facing the same crisis. Children in urgent need of medical care, whether for COVID or other emergencies, may be at risk as they face delays in receiving the necessary treatment and may have to be transported to distant facilities for critical care.

“Your child won’t be placed on a ventilator here,” Jenkins noted. “They’ll need to be airlifted to Temple, Oklahoma City, or wherever we can find a bed, but there’s no guarantee they will receive one here unless a spot opens up, and that has been the reality for the past 24 hours.”

The situation is equally dire for adult patients, with more than half of Texas hospitals reporting full ICU capacities. As of August 5, at least 53 hospitals across Texas had no ICU beds available, affecting both adult and pediatric care. Approximately 87.1% of all hospital beds in Texas are occupied, with 14.1% specifically treating severe or life-threatening COVID cases. Dr. Linda Thompson, a health official in Austin-Travis County, emphasized that patients are requiring longer hospital stays than in previous surges.

“This current wave is the fastest and most aggressive we have encountered. The vast majority of our hospitalizations are among unvaccinated individuals who are experiencing severe illness. ICU staff are seeing younger patients, and those admitted are sicker and staying longer than in past surges, which is putting considerable strain on our hospital resources,” Thompson remarked.

The message is clear: wear a mask, and get vaccinated.

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In summary, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by the Delta variant, has resulted in a critical shortage of ICU beds for children in Dallas and surrounding areas. As hospitals struggle to manage the influx of cases, particularly among unvaccinated individuals, the need for preventive measures such as masking and vaccination has become more pressing than ever.