Patients in Ontario hospitals that are struggling with unprecedented COVID-19 admissions are more likely to face transfers to other hospitals as the Omicron surge comes to a head. Another 184 COVID-19 patients have been admitted, pushing the total to 3,814 — well above last April’s record high around 2,300 patients. It’s difficult to forecast which hospitals are more likely to have to transfer patients elsewhere, Simpson added. Transferring ward patients is generally less complicated than ICU patients because their burden of illness is lower. Correction, Jan. 14, 2022: This article was updated from a previous version, which incorrectly stated that patients could be transferred between hospitals without their consent.

Source: thestar January 15, 2022 02:47 UTC