Ohio continues to see a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. And health officials are concerned that the increasing rates of hospitalizations could strain the health care system. Alison Holm reports.
State health officials reported 4,706 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and 7 deaths. There have been 5,524 deaths and nearly 255,000 cases since the pandemic began eight months ago. And the number of patients currently hospitalized has reached an all-time high.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office turned Monday's coronavirus press conference over to the medical directors of the state's regional coronavirus efforts to explain the impact the surge in COVID-19 cases is having on the state's hospitals. The picture painted by Dr. Rick Lofgren of Region 3 in southwest Ohio was typical of the reports.
"We in zone three have over 670 patients hospitalized today. Our previous peak, prior to this third surge, was 300 patients in July. So this is a whole magnitude higher. And I might also add, we were doing quite well as a community up through September, but really since the beginning part of October we've seen this marked. Prior to the beginning of October this uptick our positivity rate was in the low 3's; now it's hovering around 8%. And the growth of hospitalizations in our community is growing exponentially. The number of hospital cases in our community is doubling every three weeks."
Dr. Andrew Thomas, of Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center says Central Ohio hit 500 COVID patients in the hospital going into the weekend, and stood at 560 COVID patients in the hospital as of Monday. He says the most effective strategies to combat the spread of the coronavirus are the same ones that health officials have advocated for months. But they are difficult to tackle with state orders and mandates.
"You know, parents will, when they come to their child's game, will wear a mask when they're in the stands. They leave, and go to someone's house for a pizza party afterwards, and no one's wearing a mask when they're at this persons house. The same people that wore a mask the whole game, because they want to see their child's game. So, it really comes down our personal behavior in our personal life, and that's very hard to legislate or regulate from a state perspective."
Newly appointed Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says he understands Americans have "COVID fatigue", are numb to the numbers and are tired of hearing about the need for masks and social distancing. But as cases surge as the cold weather closes in, he hopes people will listen to doctors.
"I think the best statistic, the one I hope the public has confidence in, is what we as physicians are telling them is happening in their hospitals. That every community's hospital is seeing unprecedented numbers of patients needing hospitalizations for COVID-19. And it's not in one community - it's in all communities."
Area hospitals are better prepared to handle cases than in the beginning of the pandemic, in terms of testing and protective gear. But the continuing spread of the virus - the state's positivity rate Monday was nearly 10% - means that an increasing number of medical staff, as well as the rest of the state, are testing positive for COVID-19. And Vanderhoff warns that could leave hospitals short staffed when they are needed most.
