Most news outlets are no longer sharing the daily number of deaths attributed to COVID, but perhaps they should because in some states more people are dying than ever before in the pandemic. The latest nationwide number is 629,644 fatalities from the virus. Florida is one of the hardest hit states. Over the weekend more than 42,000 cases were reported along with 720+ deaths. The Palm Beach Post quotes Martin County neurologist Robin Kass, “It’s the worst it’s ever been right now. And I just think that nobody realizes that.”
In Louisiana, deaths are up 68% from where they were just two weeks ago.
CBS’s David Begnaud spoke with ICU Dr. Frank Courmier at Our Lady Of Lourdes in Lafayette, Louisiana about Covid conditions in his area. The pulmonologist is treating the most critical COVID patients in the hospital’s ICU. He says he’s the doctor you don’t ever want to see because once you get to him it means your condition is dire. He has treated hundreds of patients and said all but two of them have left in a body bag.
“The reality is tough to swallow because it’s not what we are used to doing. We’re used to pulling a lot of people through, we’ve just not successful in that anymore.”
Courmier says it’s especially frustrating because the majority who die are unvaccinated:
“We have a major pandemic with COVID-19 that’s hurt and affecting a lot of people but we also have a pandemic with misinformation that’s hurting a lot of people as well. And to know it doesn’t have to be this way makes it even harder and we are doing the best to combat that but we are met with a lot of resistance so it’s tough.”
Watch his full interview below.