OHIO, USA — The Ohio Department of Health is reporting the largest daily increase of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. The state confirms 2,039 new cases in the past 24 hours. The news comes just days after Ohio passed a grim milestone of 5,000 deaths.
Doctor Kristin Englund, an Infectious Disease Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, calls the trend ‘a disturbing one.’
"It's certainly been disturbing to watch over the last week the numbers gradually start to climb and it's going to continue to do that unfortunately over the next month or so,” said Dr. Englund.
Dr. Englund says the state of Ohio is seeing more cases in young people, who are mostly staying out of the hospitals. However, if the younger folks infect those who are more at risk or older, the hospital admissions will likely rise.
"It is going to get worse and it would take a significant lockdown to make any kind of change at this point in time but we can all try to be cautious in the social environments that we are in right now, especially going into the holidays,” said Englund. "We either make those decisions or we are going to have friends and family getting sick."
On Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine said wants to see at least 85 percent of the state wearing masks, while some counties are seeing a dip in mask wearing.
"What really is at stake is all the things we value and it's not going to be whether I shut the state down or don't shut the state down…if the outbreak is so bad that you can't put teachers in the classroom and can't put students in the classroom [then] these kids will be learning remotely,” said Gov. DeWine. "If the outbreak is bad people will become even more nervous about going out and become more nervous about spending money and so much of our economy depends on what we do."
As of now, Dr. Englund says the Cleveland Clinic has room for patients and the goal is to keep it that way.
“We aren't nearly as unprepared as we were back in March and April for any of this, I think we are ready for it we just certainly don't want to have to see that many sick people."