Story at a glance:
- One of the worst places in the U.S. to have COVID-19 is in Alaska as the state faces a surge in new delta cases and shortage in hospital resources.
- The death toll in Alaska is spiking up to 414 percent in the state.
- One in 84 Alaskans had COVID-19 during the last week of September.
One of the worst places in the U.S. to have COVID-19 right now is Alaska, as the state struggles with a high case load and limited health care resources.
In Alaska, hospital access is a challenge thanks to the geographical landscape of the state, and with many delta variant-riddled patients, resources such as oxygen tanks and beds are now scarce, NBC News reported.
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In two weeks, Alaska has seen the biggest rise in COVID-19 cases in the nation. The death toll is spiking up to 414 percent in the state, with most patients being unvaccinated.
It is worth noting that 58 percent of the Alaskan population is vaccinated.
Twenty hospitals and health facilities across the state have activated “crisis standards of care,” which means resources are severely limited and health care standards are compromised. Doctors are sometimes having to make tough choices, like turning potential patients away, or sending them all the way to Seattle or Portland for care. Clinicians are spending hours on the phone trying to find a bed for a patient, somewhere.
Alaska has also flown in 500 medical workers to assist with the shortage, PBS Newshour reported.
Rural areas, which characterize most of Alaska, are more vulnerable to COVID-19 deaths than urban areas, The Guardian reported, citing a study released last Friday.
Better access to water and sanitation plays a critical role in how prepared a state is in handling the pandemic, but having state-enforced measures like mandating masks or encouraging vaccination is also the reason why urban states are more resistant than rural Alaska — one in 84 Alaskans had COVID-19 during the last week of September.
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