Coronavirus Could Overwhelm Hinsdale-Area Hospitals: Report

HINSDALE, IL — Hospitals in Hinsdale and nearby areas are likely to be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients under the most likely scenarios for infection rates, according to a ProPublic report released this week and based on data from the Harvward Global Health Institute. The Hinsdale region has far fewer beds than it would need with a coronavirus outbreak, said ProPublica, an investigative news organization.

ProPublic looked at bed availability across the country. That included the Hinsdale referral region, which includes Hinsdale, Naperville and other nearby suburbs. The population of the region is 512,000, with 13 percent over 65. Elderly patients are shown to be the hardest hit by the virus.

The region has a total of 1,040 beds, of which about 61 percent were occupied as of 2018, potentially leaving only 400 beds open for additional patients, ProPublica found. The count includes 170 beds in intensive care units, according to data from the Amerian Hospital Association and the American Hospital Directory. Intensive care units are considered best equipped to handle the most severe coronavirus cases.

In the moderate scenario, in which 40 percent of the adult population contracts the disease over 12 months, the Hinsdale area would be among the regions that would need to expand capacity, ProPublica said.

Under the moderate scenario, hospitals would receive an estimated 31,900 coronavirus patients. The influx of patients would require 2.6 times the number of available beds over the 12 months, according to ProPublica. Harvard researchers assume that each coronavirus case would require 12 days of hospital care on average, based on data from China, ProPublica said.

In the Hinsdale region, ProPublica said, "intensive care units would be especially overwhelmed and require additional capacity."

Illinois reported the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 288 Wednesday, from 160 a day before. One person has died of the virus in Illinois. Twenty-two confirmed coronavirus cases were reported this week at the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook.

Amita Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale could not be reached for comment on the ProPublica report.

Public health and hospital officials have been slow to answer questions about if or when spread of the new coronavirus might create an untenable situation sat local emergency rooms and intensive care units.

"This is not a normal situation. Every day hospitals assessing their bed situation supply situation and staff situation to meet the current need in real time," Illinois Hospital Association spokesman Danny Chun told Patch.

"We're seeing all kinds of projections on how many people will get the virus. How many will need hospitalization. How many people might die. And the ranges are huge so you can't predict those shortages at this point and time when you don't know how wide spread the viruses are.

When asked for information about capacity at hospitals run by Advocate Health Systems, a spokeswoman replied via email, "I have no info on patient levels. I'll send you an invite to a media briefing with one of our docs later today but can't offer more."

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