Amid surging cases, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis changes ICU reporting so that the situation doesn't appear as serious as it is.

[Maple]

Amid a surge in Florida coronavirus cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is changing the guidelines for hospitals' reporting of intensive-care beds in the state Emergency Status System, or ESS.​

In a phone call with hospital providers this week, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, who's also the secretary of the Department of Health, said he no longer wants hospitals to report to the state the number of patients in intensive-care unit beds.​

Instead, Rivkees said he only wants hospitals to report the number of patients in those beds who require what he described as an "intensive level of care."​

The change could reduce the number of occupied ICU beds being reported to the state.​

"There has been new wording in terms of, do individuals have intensive-level care," Rivkees said, noting that some hospitals have located COVID-19 wards within intensive-care units and are reporting all COVID-19 patients as ICU patients. "So make sure that when you are giving us numbers of individuals in intensive-care units, it's those individuals having intensive-care unit care."​

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Florida changes ICU reporting

The change could reduce the number of occupied ICU beds being reported to the state.

floridapolitics.com

So instead of just the total amount of ICU patients being repoted to the state, now the guidelines have changed so that only those ICU patients requiring an "intensive level of care" are being reported. With "intensive level of care" probably being defined as those that aren't displaying COVID related conditions (ie, lung dysfunction, fever, etc), making it appear as though the ICU occupancy is not increasing when it most likely is.

It's so disgusting. Anything he can do to manipulate the stats, reporting, and make things look better not only for his political candidacy but for his corrupt corporate friends at places like Disney, who need every iota of help they can get to make the situation appear not as serious so they can open in a few weeks.

 

[andymcc]

if you're in an ICU bed, don't you require an "intensive level of care". Does he know what the acronym stands for?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

...who is not getting intensive levels of care in an intensive care unit?

 

[Landy828]

Florida doing everything they can to cover things up.

How are those fake pneumonia death numbers doing? We at 10000% more than your average year yet?

 

[Pineapple Taco]

if you're in an ICU bed, don't you require an "intensive level of care". Does he know what the acronym stands for?

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He's in bed with DeSantis, so probably not.

 

[Deleted member 61909]

jesus christ

 

[Deleted member 21709]

There is only one word, it is evil. This is evil.

 

[TheOMan]

There is a non-zero chance that every single person in America is going to catch COVID.

 

[onadesertedisland]

Remember that woman fired for not fudging the numbers?

 

[SpottieO]

Sounds like Florida is scared of losing professional sports and Disney delaying opening.

 

[Heynongman!]

Absolute fucking scum. This motherfucker needs to be removed from office

 

[Milky Way]

Shitty, but technically not all patients in the ICU require ICU level care. I used to work in Naples at NCH and the ICUS there accept "PCU" patients, or step down patients that aren't classified as ICU patients. Sometimes if a patient gets downgraded and is waiting for a room they'll be stuck in ICU. For example nurses have a 1:2 ratio for ICU patients, and 1:3 for PCU patients because they're not as sick. This is just because these hospitals don't have step down or intermediate care units, so the ICU takes them as well...

 

[Loudninja]

Umm that is what the ICU is for or am I crazy?

Edit: Opps nvm.

 

[WedgeX]

Remember that woman fired for not fudging the numbers?

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Remember when people tried to gaslight her by saying she actually resigned because she didn't export numbers properly from a pdf (...it was very close to this)?

 

[roflwaffles]

I usually wouldn't say this, but somebody please cough on this man. The only way these pieces of shit will take it seriously is if they're affected.

 

[BasilZero]

That kind of contradicts what ICU actually stands for....wtf.

 

[UltraMav]

There is a non-zero chance that every single person in America is going to catch COVID.

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I've resigned myself to getting it and hoping I live at this point. Or that I die. Either way it shakes out at least there's some solice.

 

[test_account]

if you're in an ICU bed, don't you require an "intensive level of care". Does he know what the acronym stands for?

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...who is not getting intensive levels of care in an intensive care unit?

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This is what i also thought. Why be in ICU if intensive care isnt required?

 

[TeenageFBI]

There is a non-zero chance that every single person in America is going to catch COVID.

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200k dead is way on the low end. And that's assuming permanent immunity for anyone that gets infected, which is not clear at all.

 

[C.Mongler]

if you're in an ICU bed, don't you require an "intensive level of care". Does he know what the acronym stands for?

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Right?? Here's hoping the people who tally these numbers basically don't see any distinction here and just report them as usual.

 

[Deleted member 6949]

There's gonna be a lot of pneumonia going around.

 

[Deleted member 4367]

Shitty, but technically not all patients in the ICU require ICU level care. I used to work in Naples at NCH and the ICUS there accept "PCU" patients, or step down patients that aren't classified as ICU patients. Sometimes if a patient gets downgraded and is waiting for a room they'll be stuck in ICU. For example nurses have a 1:2 ratio for ICU patients, and 1:3 for PCU patients because they're not as sick. This is just because these hospitals don't have step down or intermediate care units, so the ICU takes them as well...

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So would you say this is a reasonable thing for him to ask for? Seems possible it's reasonable given what you're saying.

 

[a916]

People like this need to fucking serve time in jail.

I'm not even American but this shit is horrific to see... where the hell is the accountability? There's over 100k people DEAD in America and this fucking clown is worried about suppressing the reports?

 

[PlateOfShrimp]

The bottom line is that they're running out of ICU beds whether people using them are receiving "intensive level care" or not. This isn't something you can just sweep under the rug. It's clearly going to be a problem they need to deal with.

 

[Lumination]

Tbh this seems like a more accurate measurement? Could beds be repurposed or overflow due to the covid situation?

I mean, the reasoning is there, I just don't know how often this happens.

noting that some hospitals have located COVID-19 wards within intensive-care units and are reporting all COVID-19 patients as ICU patients.

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[MIMIC]

Soooo....the number of COVID ICU patients were being overreported?

 

[Zeno]

The bottom line is that they're running out of ICU beds whether people using them are receiving "intensive level care" or not. This isn't something you can just sweep under the rug. It's clearly going to be a problem they need to deal with.

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Yeah. I don't know what they're planning once they reach that point since they can't just prevent that news from getting out. Hell, they're not even really fooling people about cases surging as it is.

 

[colorblindmode]

There is a non-zero chance that every single person in America is going to catch COVID.

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Sadly, you're right.

 

[qaopjlll]

DeSantis's brain is in need of an intensive level of care

 

[Dunlop]

Tbh this seems like a more accurate measurement? Could beds be repurposed or overflow due to the covid situation?

I mean, the reasoning is there, I just don't know how often this happens.

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ICU beds are not likely to be repurposed

 

[Maple]

Sounds like Florida is scared of losing professional sports and Disney delaying opening.

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I guarantee you Disney execs are on the phone daily with DeSantis coming up with plans to manipulate stats and trends. Disney has too much money on the line with the NBA and Disney World coming back in the next few weeks. They can't let a pesky second wave interfere with their plans.

 

[maxxpower]

I wish there was accountability in this country. Everybody just gets away with doing whatever the hell they want.

 

[Lumination]

ICU beds are not likely to be repurposed

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Then the statistic doesn't change and so this doesn't matter. But we also have a poster above that says it happens.

 

[cameron]

https://twitter.com/paulkrugman/status/1274659201382563840

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I don't want people who are just unable to walk and breathe, I want those real Covid-Covid numbers, you feel me?

 

[TitlePending]

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

What a catastrophe. Every fucking sports organization and Disney better pull out now. Shit's not worth it.

 

[Otnopolit]

I wish there was accountability in this country. Everybody just gets away with doing whatever the hell they want.

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I'd love some laws that FORCE governors/mayors in power to cede control of epidemic/health crises. Because no fucking doctor would do this shit, only a politician.

 

[0VERBYTE]

Par for course with any Republican state in the south.

 

[Jeffapp]

i was told the ICU was empty but all the beds are full with people.

 

[bionic77]

The next brilliant move will be to reclassify dead people as heavy sleepers.

Words will fix this problem!

 

[Rei Toei]

Taking a page from Bolsonaro's book, that.

 

[Herb Alpert]

1984 but dumb

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Despite how dumb this is, I did find out during this whole thing there are 2 different ICU designations but come on, if you are in the ICU that is some serious shit.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Sure, why not.

Pile it it on with the apparently deadlier than aveesge pneumonia season that's "coincidentally" hitting Florida too despite flu season being over...


....holy hell, this guy is a scumbag.

 

[SpaceCrystal]

I'm glad that I don't live in Florida anymore & have moved back to Hampton Roads.

It's always been a fucking joke because of people there that keep re-electing GOP Governors & officials.

 

[Trup1aya]

How keen will hospital officials be to help the government juke the stats?

 

[deepFlaw]

...am I missing something or is this number literally meaningless? Isn't the entire point to tell how many beds are full vs the number that a hospital has? In which case it's not like anything matters but someone being in them?

Or is this being used for a different purpose? (I'm not naive, I know they're obviously fucking with the reporting here, I'm just not sure what they're trying to do exactly.)

 

[Watchtower]

DeSantis really be speedrunning trying to be the worst fucking governor right now.

Holy Christ did Florida fuck up voting him in.

 

[PanzerKraken]

So would you say this is a reasonable thing for him to ask for? Seems possible it's reasonable given what you're saying.

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It might be more accurate for reporting covid cases in ICU, but the problem still remains that beds are being taken up that are needed for bad covid cases and the number keeps decreasing while cases keeps going up. The numbers don't matter when you run out of beds