Florida made nationwide headlines for not only topping 100,000 coronavirus cases but also for accusations that the state was manipulating hospital data on patients in intensive …
Florida made nationwide headlines for not only topping 100,000 coronavirus cases but also for accusations that the state was manipulating hospital data on patients in intensive care units.
But Gov. Ron DeSantis and the top health official in Palm Beach County pushed back, saying there was not anything nefarious in the new way hospitals are reporting ICU patients with COVID-19.
The News Service of Florida reported on Monday that state Surgeon General, Dr. Scott Rivkees, told hospitals he no longer wants them to report the number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs.
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Rivkees wants hospitals to report only patients receiving what he described as an “intensive level of care” which remains undefined.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Tuesday morning, Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist who treats COVID patients in Washington state, said it was stunning and puzzling what Rivkees had ordered.
“That’s data manipulation. Let’s be clear on that,” he said. “That’s fudging the data so they can report better numbers.
