“We’ve had the most cases, the most hospitalizations and the most deaths in November than we’ve had since the beginning of the pandemic,” Patterson said.
The county’s previous record month was October, where the county saw 41 deaths.
Clark County had 5,711 cases, 133 deaths and five probable deaths of the coronavirus as of Monday, according to ODH.
Ohio also broke a record on Monday with 5,000 coronavirus patients in hospitals.
“It’s a 200% increase just since Nov. 1 in hospital patients,” said Dr. Andy Thomas, the chief clinical officer of Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, who spoke during Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference on Monday. “A third of the patients in the ICU across Ohio has COVID. One-third of the patients on a ventilator in the ICU has COVID.”
Thomas asked all Ohioans who traveled over the Thanksgiving holiday to stay home and quarantine for at least the next five to seven days.
“God forbid you get sick, but at least you will be breaking the chain in transmitting it to others,” Thomas said.
Nearly a quarter, or 1,255 patients, are in Southwest Ohio. There are 301 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and 196 on ventilators in the region. Coronavirus patients account for 18.15% of hospital beds in southwest Ohio. More than 2,050, or 30.15%, of the region’s hospital beds are open.
Jamie Giere, a registered nurse of Premier’s Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy, told DeWine patients are declining “so quickly” and “it feels like the COVID population has been getting younger and younger.”
She said there is an “emotional toll” for health care workers, patients and families.
“The worst part is the pain and hurt that I see in my patients’ eyes. They’re not allowed to have their loved one by their side in their time of need,” Giere said. “You can see the fear in the patients’ faces and that’s heartbreaking.”
Stacey Morris, a COVID-unit nurse manager at Akron General Hospital also spoke during the press conference. The state is currently in the middle, “of the biggest wave we’ve seen in COVID-19 cases,” she said.
“Our numbers have just risen so drastically and so quickly,” Morris said.
Graduation parties, weddings, baby showers and funerals are among the top places where patients say they think they were exposed to the virus, she said.Some patients have said they had a mask but put it in their pocket after seeing others maskless.
“People need COVID courage to wear a mask and follow guidance when others are not,” Morris said
In total, Ohio reported 398,371 cases and 6,009 deaths of the coronavirus as of Monday, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Because of the hospitalizations in cases, CCCHD announced another free pop-up testing clinic on Monday afternoon. The clinic will be hosted from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Clark County Fairgrounds located at 4401 S. Charleston Pike in Springfield.
No appointment or doctor’s order is needed and “no one will be turned away,” a statement from the CCCHD said. Pre-registration for the clinic is available on the county’s website. (ccchd.com)
Upcoming free COVID-19 testing:
1- 5 p.m., Sunday
Clark County Fairgrounds
4401 S. Charleston Pike, Springfield
No appointment required
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