Thread by @joingles

This is a live tweet thread from a news conference Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Dept of Health Dir. Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff and Ohio National Guard Major General John Harris. Wednesday, December 29, 2021

DeWine says he's had a call with Ohio hospitals this morning. He says today marks the highest hospitalization count during this pandemic.

DeWine says it's clear hospitalizations are being driven up by people who are NOT vaccinated. He says the odds of landing in a hospital with COVID if you are vaccinated are "pretty darn slim."

Since June 1, 2021, DeWine says 35,962 people have been admitted to hospitals with COVID. Of those, 2,687 were fully vaccinated

DeWine says the evidence is abundantly clear vaccinations are the best way to stay out of hospitals.

DeWine thanks health care workers for their dedication during this pandemic. He credit hospitals for working together and working with the state for the good of public health.

There are 8 hospital zones in Ohio. DeWine says hospitals within those zones have cooperated to relieve overcrowding and such.

DeWine says 1,250 MORE members of the Ohio National Guard will be deployed to help out in the state's hospitals.

Maj Gen Harris says more than 460 members are now centered in the Cleveland area. He calls that the "hotbed" right now. More than 200 in Toledo, more than 100 in Columbus. Also some in Mansfield, Lima, and other areas. He says members can be moved around to meet the needs.

Harris says ONG members are helping with medical needs but also transporting patients, food services, administration, and other wrap-around services.

Dr. Robert Wyllie of the Cleveland Clinic says the positivity rate is more than 24% in that area. More than 3000 people are hospitalized in the Northern zone where Cleveland is located. He says it's the highest ever in that zone.

Wyllie says Cleveland Clinic has more than 1,000 in hospital with COVID. 210 in ICU. He says more than 2,700 workers there are out with COVID right now.

Wyllie says hospitals are "under significant stress." He says 36% of people using the mass testing site (Walker Center) are testing positive. He says that's a very high rate.

Dr. Richard Lofgren at University of Cincinnati Health says 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 patients in SW Ohio hospitals have COVID. He says it is putting significant stress on the staff down there. He welcomes help from the National Guard. Strongly urges vaccination and boosters.

Lofgren says the data says there is a rise in SW Ohio and he fears soon it will be as bad there as it is in Cleveland now.

Jennifer Hollis, an RN at Riverside Hospital, says there is a constant beeping of alarms (IV pumps and such) because they are so maxed with patients. She says the nursing staff is struggling to keep up with all of it.

Hollis says nurses are stressed at her facility. She pleads with people to get vaccinated. "Please get vaccinated." She says people who have symptoms but can't get tests should stay home, quarantine, and follow CDC guidelines.

Hollis breaks down as she explains the situation. "We take it home every day," she says. She says she's constantly praying families get there in time to say goodbye to patients who are dying. She says she never knows which patients will be there from one day to the next.

Q - Ohio State Hospital Assn and Children's Hospital Assn sent letters urging masks at school. Will DeWine require masks in schools? He says that's a good idea. He recommends schools require masks- at least temporarily.

I asked: "If someone tests positive from a home test, what are their obligations to report? How do they do that? And with the lack of testing capacity, what does ODH estimate is the number of people who are COVID positive but not able to get tested?

DeWine says 1.4 million tests have been put out to libraries in December alone. He says all tests are out as soon as they get them. He says that's a small number of tests taken in December

DeWine says it's known that people are not reporting many quick tests. But he says he can accept that because the people taking those tests will know they are positive and can head off problems with spreading it.

Vanderhoff says there's been "incredible demand" and they are seeing incredibly high numbers of Ohioans getting tested. 40,000+ a day. More than a quarter of a million during the week heading up to Christmas alone.

Vanderhoff says it's more important that Ohioans have the information than the state having the data for a surveillance perspective. DeWine says he is more focused on hospitalization and making sure people take vaccines to prevent that if they should get COVID.

So, in other words, they know the case counts given each day are lower than we get each day.

Q - On the Natl Guard's deployment to hospitals and how long that might continue. "We have to deal with the surge now. We do not expect this surge to last forever." - Gov. Mike DeWine

Vanderhoff says 68% of COVID right now is probably Omicron according to CDC estimate. He says no one sees this as a perpetual state of affairs. Harris says ONG is there to protect "critical infrastructure" and hospitals are considered part of that.

Harris says shifting ONG members to hospitals is creating pain in other areas as they are moving from other critical areas of the workforce. DeWine says they will "not stay one day longer than they are needed."

DeWine says ONG is helping out with some nursing homes that don't have enough staff to operate. It's not common but he says they will continue to be a backstop for nursing homes.

Q - Why are ONG people focused on North? Harris says right now, Dayton is the only place where ONG is helping out. He says there's a significant difference in hospitalizations in Northern -vs- Southern Ohio. He says they are able to "lift and shift" members as necessary.

UC's Lofgren says hospitals in Southwest Ohio are busy but not as bad as in Northern Ohio. DeWine says everyone agrees ONG should be deployed where they are needed the most. And right now, that's Northern Ohio.

Q-Can we expect COVID to become an endemic situation every winter? DeWine says "things are going to get better." Vanderhoff says we are in a process of moving toward a virus that is more endemic. And that's why, he says, it's important to vaccinate against COVID.

Vanderhoff says COVID is "here to be with us for the long haul."

Q: Of the 1,250 new ONG members being deployed, how many of them are medical folks? DeWine restates that this surge is not going to last forever. He says ONG will be there as long as they are needed.

For the record, ONG members have been critical to helping with many parts of this pandemic. They helped out with distributing food in food banks for nearly a year based on need.

Q for Dr. Wyllie - Last year about 300 people who worked there were quarantined for exposure. This year it is 9 fold that number. How are you functioning? Wyllie says ONG has been important to meeting needs. He says more than 90% of ICU patients at Cleveland Clinic haven't been..

...vaccinated. He says as people get vaccinated, it should help the situation.

Q - Plans for mask mandates? DeWine says there are no plans to mandate masks. But he says if people want their kids to be able to stay in schools, the best way to do that is to wear a mask. He strongly urges everyone to wear a mask in public spaces.

DeWine says there is not a "practical ability to put on a statewide mask order" at this point. The Ohio Legislature passed a bill recently that limits or takes power away from the governor and health department to make and enforce health orders.

DeWine says children's hospitals are strongly urging masks in schools. He says school districts should do that, at least temporarily.

Q-What should vaccinated people do to risk the spread of COVID? Vanderhoff says it's important to get a booster of Pfizer or Moderna. He says vaccinated people will likely have cold-like symptoms if they get COVID so they need to wear masks in public.

Wyllie says 38-39% of Ohioans are boosted as well as fully vaccinated. He says if you are around people whose vaccine status is unknown, you should wear a mask to protect everybody.

Q- Do you think numbers will increase due to NYE celebrations? Vanderhoff says to think about steps you can take to prevent the spread of COVID before you gather. He recommends vaccines, getting testing before gatherings, and staying home if you feel the least bit sick.

Vanderhoff says you should stay home if you have mild cold symptoms or if you test positive for COVID. He says spreading this is a big problem.

Wyllie says more than 90% of Cleveland Clinic employees are vaccinated and many have been boosted.

Q - on CDC's new 5 day quarantine guideline - why? Vanderhoff says a lot of the spread occurs within that five day interval after exposure.

Recap-
1,250 more Ohio Natl Guard being deployed to hospitals

People are urged to stay home if they have mild cold symptoms

The state realizes case counts are higher than reflected in daily ODH numbers b/c people are not always reporting positive tests.

Clarification to above tweet: Harris says Dayton is the only place IN SOUTHWEST OHIO where ONG is helping out.

And here's the finished story: statenews.org/government-pol…