Coronavirus in Ohio: COVID case surge

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) – The Ohio Department of Health held a press conference Friday on the COVID case surge in Ohio.

ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, talked with Major General John C. Harris about the Ohio National Guard’s operations across the state.

The Ohio Hospital Association reports 6,540 are currently hospitalized in Ohio with COVID-19.

That’s 1 in 3 patients.

Admissions are up in every age group.

228 kids under 17 were admitted over the last week.

Live updates:

• Scheduled to speak: Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, Director, Ohio Department of Health
• Major General John C. Harris, Jr., Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard 
• Andy Thomas, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center  
• Robert Wyllie, MD, Chief Medical Operations Officer, Cleveland Clinic
• “Our vaccines continue to offer remarkable protection against hospitalization and death.” – Dr. Vanderhoff
• Inpatient hospitalizations have set new daily highs since Dec. 29, 2021
• More than 1300 of 6500 people hospitalized in the state are in ICU
• 247% increase in COVID cases from 2 weeks ago in Ohio
• Greater Cleveland area among the hardest hit in the state
• Dr. Vanderhoff says it’s an “omicron tsunami”
• Hospitals extending measure to postpone elective surgeries requiring inpatient stay – Dr. Thomas
• Dr. Thomas says most patients suffering from omicron are seeing more upper respiratory symptoms, less on taste and sense of smell
• Cleveland and Akron area seeing omicron and delta cases
• More than 3700 of the state’s hospitalizations in Northeast Ohio, another 1300 in Akron area – Dr. Wyllie
• Some hospitals are delaying all elective surgeries so staff can be used to help in other areas
• 75% in the hospital unvaccinated, 91% on ventilators unvaccinated – Dr. Wyllie
• 1200+ Ohio National Guard members deployed across Ohio
• 39% of people testing positive at W.O. Walker Center – Dr. Wyllie
• About 20k people tested at W.O. Walker Center – Dr. Wyllie
• “COVID is not going away. It’s with us for the long haul.” – Dr. Vanderhoff