Ohio - The Ohio Department of Health gave an update on the current Covid-19 situation. 

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff started out the press conference by illuminating the alarming rate in which Covid-19 cases are growing throughout Ohio. According to Dr. Vanderhoff, Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across Ohio are rising at an alarming rate, and that the amount of rising cases are troubling. 

In hospitals throughout Ohio, 1 in 7 patients are suffering with Covid-19, and 1 in 4 Covid-19 patients are in the ICU. In rural Ohio, 1 in 3 patients have Covid-19 and half of all patients in the ICU are battling Covid-19. 

Dr. Vanderhoff and Ohio Infectious Disease Doctor, Dr. Gastaldo highlighted the issues hospitals are experiencing due to rising Covid-19 numbers. There are over 3,000 patients with Covid-19 in the hospitals, and about 800 patients in the ICU. 

Covid-19 cases have risen to 6,823 cases as of yesterday in Ohio, and we now have a 5,000 21 day average. In January, the state of Ohio was seeing 200 to 300 new cases a day, and we are now at about 20 times that number, according to Dr. Vanderhoff. 

Hospitals across the state are experiencing a dangerous strain on their staffing, according to Dr. Vanderhoff. Hospital staff members are emotionally and physically fatigued, they are frustrated, and hospitals are extremely understaffed, which has been reported by the Ohio Hospital Association. 

Non-Covid-19 patients are also struggling across the state because of the rising Covid-19 cases. Elective surgeries and other non emergency medical procedures are being postponed because of strain on hospital staff. 

In regards to schools and Covid-19, Dr. Vanderhoff and Dr. Gastaldo agree that schools need to take the proper precautions to keep children in schools. Both doctors believe that it is very important to keep kids in school this year for their emotional, academic and personal growth. 

Masking and social distancing in schools in the best option to keep kids in school, according to Dr. Vanderhoff and Dr. Gastaldo. Dr. Vanderhoff shared that schools across the country who have decided to not implement mask mandates or any recommended guidance have seen large numbers of staff members and students having to quarantine, and have to rethink their safety measures. 

Dr. Gastaldo also mentioned that schools across the country that have more adults vaccinated within the school system have less Covid-19 cases amongst children, and pose less of a risk. 

Dr. Gastaldo and Dr. Vanderhoff also accredited local health department incentive programs to encourage people to get vaccinated. They claim that those communities have seen an uptick in vaccinations due to those programs. 

Dr. Gastaldo also claims that we are on the path for this pandemic to become endemic, and he hopes that by the end of this calendar year we will have a Tamiflu like pill that will help people who are vaccinated deal with Covid-19. 

Both doctors reiterated throughout the press conference that the most effective way to protect yourself from different variants of Covid-19 is to receive the vaccination.