Va Hosp Emerg Depts, Respiratory Illnesses Surge in State, Longer Wait Times, Dr. Shortage, Hampton Roads

Last edited Wed Jan 8, 2025, 12:32 PM - Edit history (2)

'Local emergency departments see surge in sickness while patients face longer than usual wait times,' WAVY News, Jan. 7, 2024.
--------
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A surge in post-holiday respiratory illnesses has led to long waits in local emergency departments. A patient leaving Sentara Norfolk General Tuesday afternoon described an ugly scene inside Sentara Norfolk General’s ED.

“It’s busy and everybody [is] throwin’ up, spittin’ up with colds. It’s terrible,” Doreen White said. “[They’re] in the hallway and out in the hallway on the outside — people everywhere.”

Sentara spokesperson Dale Gauding confirmed that it’s not just happening at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Many of its emergency departments are at capacity and some admissions are being delayed. It’s the same at Chesapeake Regional Hospital, while Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth and Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News are also seeing an increase in patients with respiratory illnesses.

The Virginia Department of Health’s respiratory dashboard shows COVID-19, flu and RSV activity to be high in the state and the Eastern Region, which includes all of Hampton Roads. The influx of illnesses, on top of typical injuries and illnesses seen in an emergency department, are only exacerbated by the doctor shortage, which has many using emergency rooms for primary care...
https://www.wavy.com/news/health/local-emergency-departments-see-surge-in-sickness-while-patients-face-longer-than-usual-wait-times/