Military medical teams headed to Michigan this week to help overwhelmed hospitals

DEARBORN, Mich (FOX 2) - Military medical teams will be arriving in Michigan this week to help hospitals overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beaumont Dearborn and Spectrum Health in West Michigan will each get 22 personnel. The teams will include nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians.

Right now, nine hospitals are at capacity and the state just set a new pandemic high for COVID hospitalizations.

The total of 4,181 surpassed the previous record of 4,158, which was set seven months ago during the state’s third wave.

"We’re already experiencing a surge in cases," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive. "We are already experiencing hospitals that are under strain. Hospitals that are feeling the burden of these cases and not only COVID but other respiratory viruses circulating like influenza."