'Surge Is Here': Ohio Hits New Coronavirus Hospitalization Record

COLUMBUS, OH — As Ohioans prepare for Thanksgiving, many of the state's hospitals are straining under the weight of a resurgent COVID-19 spike.

More than 4,300 Ohioans are now hospitalized because of COVID-19, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday. That's the most Ohioans ever hospitalized at one time because of the virus. Of those hospitalizations, more than 1,000 are in intensive care units.

On Sept. 23, there were 600 Ohioans in hospitals because of COVID-19, according to Dr. Andrew Wylie from the Cleveland Clinic. In the past two weeks alone, hospitalizations are up nearly 60 percent.

Wylie said the Cleveland Clinic has more than 970 caregivers out of action because they either have COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus. Hospital systems are also beginning to loan each other ventilators and oxygen equipment because some facilities are running out of equipment.

"Because of this, we have to take [caregivers] who would have been doing elective surgeries and staff them instead in inpatient care. We need your help to prevent our caregivers from being sick and off work," Wylie said.

Dr. Andrew Thomas, from Wexner Mexical Center, said hospitals across the state are seeing the same trends: unprecedented hospitalizations due to COVID-19, a dearth of available doctors and nurses and dwindling hospital space.

"Until we see cases peak and then come down, in a sustained way, we are going to see hospitalizations continue to rise. We cannot sound the alarm bell loud enough for people in Ohio to change their behavior," Thomas said.

Dr. Richard Lofgren, from University of Cincinnati Health, warned Ohioans this is the worst the virus has been in the Buckeye State.

"The growth in hospitalizations exponential. We're not planning for the surge - the surge is here. We're approaching the point where the influx of COVID patients will displace non-COVID care," Lofgren said.

Thomas said health officials still have the playbook on how to convert convention centers, and other sites, into medical facilities to care for displaced patients. However, Thomas said, there are simply not enough caregivers to staff those sites.

"I'd have to shut down everything else," he said of staffing alternative hospital sites. Wylie and Lofgren echoed Thomas' concerns over staffing.

Thanksgiving Coming

With Thanksgiving ahead, health officials said hospitalizations could spike two weeks, or so, after the holiday. A spike in COVID-19 deaths could follow four weeks after the holiday.

"The future is going to be determined by what happens at Thanksgiving," Gov. Mike DeWine said. He insisted the has not ruled out a possible full shutdown, like the one enacted in spring, if the state's COVID-19 numbers continue to surge.