Ohio sets high for COVID cases two days in a row

COLUMBUS — For the second day in a row, the number of daily COVID-19 cases reported in Ohio reached an all-time high Wednesday, with the 12,864 new cases driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant and an uptick in Ohioans getting tested for the virus.

While hospitalizations and ICU admissions dropped slightly from Tuesday, the recent COVID hospitalization levels remain at among the highest since the beginning of the pandemic, caused almost entirely by unvaccinated individuals contracting COVID and experiencing a more severe illness than those who are vaccinated, as local hospital officials, healthcare professionals, doctors, and infectious disease scientists have said repeatedly and clearly in news releases, press conferences, tweets and other communications to the public over the last several weeks.

“We have a troubling picture, one that should be a wake-up call for everyone,” Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said at a news conference Wednesday. “And as we think about our risk of getting sick with COVID-19, especially as we think about gatherings with loved ones for the holidays, and I think with that in mind, it’s important for us to remember that not all cases of COVID are the same.

“There’s a real difference between getting COVID-19 if you’re unvaccinated versus getting it if you’re vaccinated, especially if you’re up to date with a timely booster. While, there is a chance, particularly with the omicron variant, for a fully-vaccinated Ohioan to get COVID-19, the good news is that when you’re vaccinated, you can feel confident this holiday season that because you’re vaccinated, your risk of developing severe disease, especially the kind that lands you in an ICU, is very low. The same is not true for the unvaccinated.”

Vanderhoff said unvaccinated Ohioans continue to be a significant source of Ohio’s COVID-19 hospital admissions.

“Remember that it’s the unvaccinated who are filling our hospital beds,” he said. “The fact is that if you’re vaccinated and contract COVID-19, you’ll probably have milder symptoms if you have any — symptoms that are more like a cold, or symptoms that are for sure very unlikely to place you in a hospital. However, if you’re unvaccinated, you’re not only at greater risk for getting COVID-19, you’re much more likely to develop a severe case of COVID 19, one that leads to hospitalization or death.”

To date, 2,462,528 Ohioans have received booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 44,553 boosters administered in the last 24 hours.

“Now, we should all be very concerned by the tidal wave of COVID-19 hospitalizations, which again are driven largely by unvaccinated Ohioans,” Vanderhoff said. “The delta and the omicron variants are both highly contagious and spread easily when you cough or sneeze or even talk. And when you aren’t vaccinated, you’re at particularly high risk for being infected with the virus, and whether you end up in the hospital or worse, really, it’s a roll of the dice.

“COVID-19 is relentlessly seeking out those who are not well protected, and choosing not to be vaccinated is simply a gamble with your health. Are you willing to take that risk or be the reason why a loved one takes that risk? Please get vaccinated. If it’s time to, get your booster, and use preventative measures to protect yourself and others.”

Vanderhoff said hospitals are begging Ohioans to get vaccinated.

“The reason our hospitals are pleading with Ohioans to get vaccinated is because their firsthand experience tells them that the vast majority of COVID hospitalizations are in fact being driven by the unvaccinated, and hence, those hospitalizations are preventable by vaccination,” he said. “Our hospitals need our help now.”

There were 34,997 COVID-19 tests performed Dec. 20, the latest day the data from the ODH was available. Of those tests, 23.9% were positive, compared to the rolling seven-day average positivity rate, which is 19.8%.

“The Cleveland area hospitals told us their emergency rooms were being inundated with people trying to get COVID tests, and on their recommendation, we collaborated to open a testing site,” Vanderhoff said. “Thanks to our rapid deployment of the National Guard, we were able to very quickly activate a testing site, and demand there has been very, very high. With more than 1,000 tests administered yesterday, just as the site was launched, of course, one day of a brand new site, we faced limits regarding what we could do. Rest assured we’re working. We’ll work every day to increase the capacity at the testing site.”