Covid-19: Doctors reveal impact of Omicron on Byron Bay anti-vaxxers

Anti-vaxxers have flooded intensive care units in the Byron Bay area in New South Wales, with one doctor confirming things are turning out exactly "as we feared".

A hospital in Australia's anti-vax heartland has made the startling admission that all six of the patients currently in ICU are unvaccinated.

Lismore Base Hospital has now been forced to open a third Covid ward, with 50 patients admitted after contracting the virus.

The Daily Telegraph reported the current crisis is unfolding exactly as doctors predicted, with the majority of hospitalised cases unvaccinated.

"It is as we feared," Dr Chris Ingall, from the hospital's medical staff council, told the publication.

"We are seeing an almost exclusively unvaccinated population in the hospital and exclusively unvaccinated in the intensive care ward at this point.

"We predicted this ... everyone predicted it would sweep through the pockets of the unvaccinated."

At just 83 per cent, vaccination rates in the Byron Shire are some of the lowest in the state.

Such avoidable tragedies playing out in intensive care units . Only unvaxxed in ICU at Lismore as Covid targets the unvaccinated. Via @dailytelegraph Only unvaxxed ICU patients in state’s anti-vax heartland https://t.co/yiv2D2z9RW pic.twitter.com/vbMhPwridb

— jane hansen (@janehansen2000) January 15, 2022

One of the people in ICU is Mullimbimby-based tarot card reader and reiki master Helen Dean, who had previously protested against vaccine mandates.

She caught the virus last month and has been on a ventilator since Christmas Day.

In the weeks since she first contracted Covid her friends have flooded her social media pages with healing sentiments and chanting ceremonies.

The Daily Telegraph reported she was taken off life support on Saturday but remains in ICU.

One person questioned Dean's anti-vaccination views after hearing about her sickness.

Helen Dean had previously protested against vaccine mandates. Photo / Facebook

"Send healing love to Helen but I also found this on the front page of the newspaper today. Please please get vaccinated no one needs to put (their) lives at risk for an ideology," they wrote.

Just weeks ago, Mullumbimby-based Archibald-winning artist Craig Ruddy died at age 53 from complications due to Covid-19. He was also unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, NSW Health data has revealed the impact anti-vaxxers are causing on the health system.

Of NSW's Covid deaths, 420 were unvaccinated while just 96 had the jab.

The Daily Telegraph also estimated the cost of ICU per patient per day is about $4375.