[Goose]

From an article in another newspaper, but credited to the Mercury News explains a confusing number of 0% ICU availability but with beds free:

[California Department of Public Health] says it calculates the adjusted ICU capacity based on the proportion of ICU patients who have COVID-19. "If a region is utilizing more than 30% of its ICU beds for COVID-19 positive patients, then its available ICU capacity is adjusted downward by 0.5% for each 1% over the 30% threshold," according to the CDPH office of public affairs.

So that mind-bending formula explains how the state has 0% capacity with more than 1,300 ICU beds still available — and maybe why an explanation has been so hard to come by.

SCC's % ICU available is the mathematical number, not some adjusted value.  As of today, there are 149 COVID positive + 4 PUI + 139 non-COVID in 302 ICU beds out of a total of 323 staffed beds today.    21 available beds is 6.5% of the 323.  SCC is reporting 7% ICU available.   49% (149/302) with COVID positive cases.   The state would consider SCC to have -3% availability.

What a bunch of nonsense. Capacity is capacity. It doesn't matter what kind of patient is filling the bed. It is also terminally confusing to call such a number "capacity". No wonder I basically got a run-around from San Mateo County when I asked why their numbers didn't match the State's numbers.

[Goose]

From an article in another newspaper, but credited to the Mercury News explains a confusing number of 0% ICU availability but with beds free:

[California Department of Public Health] says it calculates the adjusted ICU capacity based on the proportion of ICU patients who have COVID-19. "If a region is utilizing more than 30% of its ICU beds for COVID-19 positive patients, then its available ICU capacity is adjusted downward by 0.5% for each 1% over the 30% threshold," according to the CDPH office of public affairs.

So that mind-bending formula explains how the state has 0% capacity with more than 1,300 ICU beds still available — and maybe why an explanation has been so hard to come by.

SCC's % ICU available is the mathematical number, not some adjusted value.  As of today, there are 149 COVID positive + 4 PUI + 139 non-COVID in 302 ICU beds out of a total of 323 staffed beds today.    21 available beds is 6.5% of the 323.  SCC is reporting 7% ICU available.   49% (149/302) with COVID positive cases.   The state would consider SCC to have -3% availability.

What a bunch of nonsense. Capacity is capacity. It doesn't matter what kind of patient is filling the bed. It is also terminally confusing to call such a number "capacity". No wonder I basically got a run-around from San Mateo County when I asked why their numbers didn't match the State's numbers.