As the COVID-19 pandemic runs rampant across the U.S., health systems risk being brought to their knees in the face of the unprecedented number of infected people flooding hospitals. Other than the now chronic shortage of PPE and other supplies, the biggest pressure being faced is the shortage of hospital beds to accommodate all the sick. This is where expertise in sourcing and mobilizing locations for thousands of people in a very short period, and Andrea Tsakanikas, a seasoned group travel management professional and the founder of CrewFacilities.com, advises that counties, municipalities and cities can look into using hotel rooms to ease the pressure on hospitals. Hotel rooms can be considered for the following categories of COVID-19 affected persons. This not only assists in reducing the spread, increased volume in hospitals and at the same time helping hotels stay in business. Many are empty or completely closed.
Patients with Mild Symptoms. Not all people infected by the COVID-19 virus are affected in the same way and require the same degree of medical intervention. For example, some infected persons may present with mild symptoms that don’t necessitate hospital stays. However, sending such people back home can expose family members to the virus. Keeping these patients in hotel rooms can free up needed hospital beds for the critically ill while safeguarding the community from the further spread of the virus.
Contacts Who Need to Be Isolated. Since the onset of COVID-19, we have come to understand contact tracing, a practice through which all the people who got in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient are traced and quarantined or isolated to curb the spread of the disease. Such individuals need not take up valuable space in hospitals. Isolating them in hotels allows healthcare workers to test and monitor them until it is determined whether they need treatment or are virus-free and can therefore return home.
Recovering Patients. These are individuals who may have been seriously ill but are now on the mend and no longer require life support in hospital. Such patients can be moved to hotel rooms to complete their recovery so that the hospital beds can be available for those who need critical care facilities.
Hotel rooms can also accommodate hospital staff as their rooms within the hospital are converted into critical care facilities, so there is no limit as to how the healthcare system managers can utilize the hotels near hospitals. Fortunately, CrewFacilities.com has massive experience in providing lodging and related logistical support to counties, cities and governmental departments during emergencies such as what our nation is currently facing. As a matter of fact, the City of New York recently inked a $250 contract with us for the provision of temporary accommodation for health care workers and other responders during this COVID-19 pandemic. Contact us today and let us talk about how we can be of help in providing similar services.
