CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Clinic is now seeing its highest volume of COVID-19 patients since last winter, causing long wait times in Clinic emergency departments, and fewer nonessential surgeries.
Things are predicted to get worse. The Clinic’s forecasts predict the highest volumes of COVID-19 patients will come in the next several weeks, as this current pandemic wave peaks in northern Ohio, the hospital system said in a statement Monday.
About 460 patients — including 135 in intensive care units — are in the Clinic’s Ohio hospitals. This is more than double the number of patients that were hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Clinic one month ago. The majority of these patients are unvaccinated, the hospital system said.
Statewide, unvaccinated people account for close to 94% of recent coronavirus hospitalizations, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
“We urge our community to receive their COVID-19 vaccination, as this continues to be the best protection against severe illness and death from COVID-19,” the Clinic said.
Why doesn't the Cleveland clinic report their VAERS contribution, if any.
