By Tim Mastro

WILMINGTON — ChristianaCare’s intensive care unit was operating at 170% of its capacity last weekend, while its Wilmington Hospital had as many COVID-19 patients in the emergency room Tuesday morning as it had emergency room capacity.

“We’re caring for patients in hallways. We’re stretched thin,” said ChristianaCare physician executive Dr. Ken Silverstein at the state’s COVID-19 press briefing Tuesday. “The health care system is under unprecedented strain.”

“Patients are really sick,” said ChristianaCare section chief of critical care Dr. Mike Benninghoff in a recorded message. “Everyone’s really tired. It’s a very busy weekend, exhausting, and no end in sight.”

The situation across the state has led to numerous hospitals — ChristianaCare, Bayhealth, TidalHealth Nanticoke and Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic-Saint Francis — to enter, for the first time in history, “Crisis Standards of Care” protocols as of Monday, in response to an “unprecedented demand for hospital and health care services.”

The surge in hospitalizations is spurred by the state’s highest COVID-19 rates since the pandemic began, thanks to the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Delaware posted a record 734 individuals hospitalized with the virus in the Delaware Division of Public Health’s daily update Tuesday. Of those hospitalized, DPH said 72 are in ICUs, while 51 are on ventilators.

COVID-19 patients make up 40% of all the state’s hospitalizations, with 70% being unvaccinated, and 90% having not received boosters, per DPH.

“Most of the people getting the sickest are unvaccinated, which is really having a tremendous impact on our health care systems,” said DPH director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

Dr. Roshan Prabhu, the associate director of Bayhealth’s hospice and Family Medicine Residency programs, also submitted a video for the state’s briefing, taken after he finished a shift on the inpatient floors. He said the majority of his cases were unvaccinated individuals experiencing severe COVID-19 complications.

“Omicron has changed the game with this rapid transmissibility, but one thing remains clear: Vaccines are doing exactly what they’re supposed to do, preventing severe illness and death in those who are vaccinated,” Dr. Prabhu said. “Health care systems are being stretched beyond their limits. We’re all tired of COVID, tired of seeing young, otherwise healthy individuals on ventilators, tired of delivering bad news of illness.

“But we can stop this. Wear a mask, get vaccinated, help protect yourself (and) protect our health care system and those who are vulnerable who cannot receive the vaccine. Together, we can end this pandemic.”

Bayhealth president Terry Murphy agreed, saying in a statement, “These are unprecedented times for our communities here in Delaware. The current COVID-19 crisis calls for swift decisive action by our entire medical community, which is under siege by this deadly illness. This most recent spike has taken a heavy toll on our resources and staffing that were already strained. Implementing Crisis Standards of Care is the necessary next step to allow our caregivers to deliver care in the safest and most effective manner to those in our community who need us most.”

TidalHealth noted in a press release that it has collectively experienced a more than 300% increase in admissions for COVID-19 since Dec. 1, 2021, and record-setting numbers of emergency department visits for COVID-19-related symptoms.

“We remain fully committed to providing the best and safest possible care, but it is becoming extremely challenging with the anticipated holiday surge in cases now occurring,” said TidalHealth CEO Dr. Steve Leonard in a statement. “We continue to strategize best ways to reduce hospitalizations and overcrowding with our team and with other healthcare providers in our region. However, we desperately need the help of our communities. Getting vaccinated and receiving your booster can reduce the severity of illness and will help take the pressure off our extremely busy facilities.”