CLEVELAND (WJW) — Ohio hospitals are reporting their highest number of patients with COVID-19 since the pandemic started.
“I’m not surprised because we saw a second peak last week,” said Dr. Keith Armitage, an infectious disease specialist with University Hospitals (UH).
According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), 1,122 patients were treated in hospitals across the state Tuesday. That is the highest number reported since the pandemic began.
The previous high was in late April when the state had 1,103 patients with COVID-19 in the hospital.
“I think what we saw in Ohio was an increase of cases between Memorial Day and the 4th of July holiday. There is a lag time between hospitalizations,” said Armitage.
Armitage is medical director of the Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine & Global Health.
“In our healthcare system, we hit a second peak last week. We are down a bit this week. The peak has not been so bad that it has disrupted what we do,” said Armitage.
And, even though hospitals are better prepared than they were at the beginning of the pandemic, the ODH says the virus is continuing to affect personal protective equipment supplies and staffing.
Dr. Armitage says, thankfully, UH has not had any shortage of both. However, he says these numbers are a wake-up call that the virus is still very much with us.
“Whether it’s a family reunion, bar, restaurant, indoor social events, these indoor events without masks is how it spreads in the community,” said Armitage.
