Santa Clara County has been one of the early hot zones for coronavirus and according to one of Kaiser Permanente’s infectious disease experts, the San Jose hospital had a recent surge in cases.

“Almost half of the hospital is filled with either COVID confirmed or persons under investigation,” said Kaiser's Executive Vice President Stephen M. Parodi, MD during an interview with JAMA Network last week.

In the wide-ranging interview, Parodi described how the hospital has already set up a series of tents outside the emergency room to screen patients as they arrive.

Technicians and staff are in personal protective equipment almost at the start of the intake process.

A spokesperson for Kaiser said the percentage of coronavirus patients at the hospital has declined since the interview but they’re still on alert.

“This thing can come on very quickly. So, when you go from zero to having 10 patients, that happened for us, in terms of in the ICU, within one week,” said Parodi.

Leaders and medical personnel across the Bay Area are getting ready for what they expect will be a sustained rush of infections.

In Daly City, Seton Medical Center released a video of an entire ward open and ready to accept coronavirus patients.

It’s one of two hospitals California is now leasing to help respond.

"Make no mistake about it, Seton is going to save lives. We know that this pandemic is only growing. Recent numbers are five dead in San Mateo County as of this morning. And so having this hospital is important,” said San Mateo County Sup. David Canepa.

Seton Medical Center has been slated to close, but has been leased by the state to care for up to 220 COVID-19 patients.

