Video shows woman treated in parking lot as hospital beds full with Covid patients
Sophia Santana was suffering from a severe asthma attack
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A TikTok video showing a woman getting treated in a hospital parking lot because all beds were full with Covid patients has gone viral.
Sophia Santana, 23, was at a California hospital because of a severe asthma attack, and she ended up being treated outside in the ambulance bay as there was no space left inside.
The multimedia artist, who posts on the TikTok account @philosophia_art, uploaded a clip of herself sitting outside the hospital taking in oxygen. The caption says: “Get ya vaccines people.”
In the video, which shows the empty parking area, she laughs wheezily into an oxygen mask, as overlay text says: “The hospital has no beds. I am straight up in a parking lot.”
Ms Santana wrote in the comments: “PSA I went to the hospital cuz I had severe asthma attack not covid!!”
She later posted an update responding to those who had doubted her initial post was true, showing hospital paperwork that described severe asthma symptoms.
“As my fellow asthmatics would know, if you’re at that point, you really need to go to the hospital because people can die from asthma,” said Ms Santana. “It’s not cool.”
Ms Santana also gave a fuller account of her traumatic experience, saying she was “gasping for air for several hours,” while waiting for help at the hospital, at one point, “on all fours” and “freaking out”. She says she was then wheeled out to the ambulance bay where staff told her she was on camera so could wave her arms around if she needed help.
She wrapped up her post saying that she’s “fine and fortunate” and that she thought the situation was funny.
An ICU bed shortage has affected hospitals across the country as the Covid pandemic continues to hospitalise thousands.
According to statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services, two weeks ago more than 77 per cent of staffed ICU beds across the United States were occupied.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments