Intensive care unit
More than a quarter of the nation's occupied ICU beds are being used for COVID-19 patients.
Since November, the share of U.S. hospitals nearing the breaking point has doubled, an Associated Press analysis found.
The 87-year-old talk show host also has preexisting health conditions.
The state had 1 million cases last month. The spike stems largely from ignoring stay-at-home warnings, officials say.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
California hospitals — and elsewhere — already have been pushed to the brink because of COVID.
More than 3,500 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units across the state.
The Southern California region has hit zero remaining intensive care unit space.
Patients struggling to breathe because of the coronavirus are being placed on ventilators in emergency wards since intensive care units are full, officials say.
Texas Medical Center, home to most of the city's hospitals, responds to its ICU overflow by shifting staff and equipment as coronavirus cases surge in the state.
Even in the "moderate" scenario, 80% of Americans could see critical care in their area stretched beyond its limits.