MO working on COVID-19 hospital transfer problems

The state’s largest hospitals are feeling the additional strain from rural Missouri COVID-19 patients getting transferred to them. Some hospitals have had to temporarily stop accepting ambulances and patient transfers due to capacity problems, leaving the patients in a bad situation. During a Capitol press conference, Missouri Health Department Director Randall Williams says the state is working on changes.

National reports say putting some COVID-19 patients on ventilators can lead to health risks to the patients and hospital workers. Some doctors appear to be in favor of instead using high flow oxygen and Williams says ambulances are not capable of giving patients high flow oxygen.