AKRON, Ohio — While new cases continue to drop, Ohio is leading the nation in coronavirus deaths per capita this week. The figures, doctors say, are a startling reminder we'll still in the pandemic. And that our hospitals are still trying to catch up.
“When I talk to folks who aren't in a hospital setting, they don't realize that we're still burdened,” said Dr. David Custodio of Summa Health. “Our hospital is still occupied at a hundred percent. We are still juggling beds to get patients in and out. We have prolonged stays in the [emergency department] and what we call ‘boarding,’ still,” he said.
Dr. Custodio, president of Summa’s Akron campus, says while they’re encouraged by cases dropping and other leading indicators, we’re not out of the woods yet.
“We're hopeful that, that light at the end of the tunnel, isn't another train coming at us,” he said.
This week, a medical team from the US Army started working to fill in the gaps at Summa.
The Akron Campus is hosting 25 soldiers, 22 of them are working clinically as physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and medics, for a 30-day deployment.
“It is literally, pun intended, a shot in the arm for our staff taking care of folks here,” said Dr. Custodio. “They are also helping with our teams that have been doing this for the last 22 months. So having that breadth of fresh air and that skillset in there, it is very much welcome…I can't say thank you enough.”
Like at Cleveland Clinic, FEMA approved the aid. There a team of 20 US Air Force personnel continue to work alongside staff in the ER and on hospital floors. As of Monday, the Clinic has again been able to support non-essential procedures, postponed since early December.
At Summa, overall COVID cases have dropped from their peak by 66 percent, but the census remains extremely high. Dr. Custodio says now is the time to stay diligent.
“It's not an either, or. It is vaccination and those other safety measures that we've heard throughout this pandemic of masking, social distancing, and washing and avoiding those large crowds and gatherings,” he said. “We're getting close. And if we can continue on these trends, then hopefully soon we'll be back to a better state. But we need patience, and we need cooperation to get there.”
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.