Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s Chief Communications Officer raised the alarm for COVID-19 hospitalizations on Sunday when the hospital reached 70 patients in its COVID unit – an increase of 11 in just two days since Friday and the highest the hospital has seen since The pandemic started in 2018 was seen in early 2020.
“That’s the highest number we’ve ever had,” said Stephanie Derzypolski, adding that her highest number of hospital admissions to date was 51.
The vast majority of patients now hospitalized are unvaccinated, according to Derzypolski.
More: COVID-19: 111 hospitalized in Leon; TMH-Docs give birth to babies with mother in critical condition
On Friday, TMH said 53 out of 59 patients were unvaccinated. Derzypolski said on Sunday that 65 of the 70 patients were unvaccinated.
She found that every single patient in the intensive care unit is unvaccinated.
Derzypolski, a vice president at TMH, also said two of the patients are under 12 years old.
Derzypolski first drew attention to the increasing hospital admissions in a Facebook post on Sunday morning.
“These are no longer people with comorbidities in the 70s and 80s, but otherwise healthy people in their 20s, 30s and 40s,” Derzypolski said on Sunday in a Facebook post. “These people come in and ask our doctors for the vaccine, but it’s too late for them.”
Across the city, 56 people are being hospitalized at the Capital Regional Medical Center – an increase of four since Friday. CRMC did not provide a breakdown of the vaccination status of its patients.
Across the county, COVID-19 hospital stays total 126 – nearing the January high of 135, according to Tallahassee Democrat reports.
In her post, Derzypolski continued to “beg” those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so.
“When you see families who can’t be there with their loved ones, that’s the saddest thing in the world,” Derzypolski said in an interview with the Democrat. “And we kind of hit our heads against the wall at this point, because there is only so much you can do, a good way, because it is an unsafe environment.
“Our hearts break, but there is nothing we can do other than try to encourage people to get vaccinated,” she said.
Masks in school:
Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried voiced her own concerns about the growing number of COVID-19 cases on Sunday in a weekend update from her Capitol office – calling the numbers “shocking.”
“Yesterday the state reported 21,683 new cases of COVID-19 to the CDC, Florida’s highest daily number ever,” Fried said in 2021, before vaccinations were readily available, the highest number of all daily cases in Florida since the pandemic began.
More: Florida Democrat-Elect Nikki Fried says DeSantis leaves a “void” on COVID information
The 2022 gubernatorial candidate said Florida’s one-day record high accounted for 21% of new cases nationwide, adding that the Sunshine State’s population was only 6.5% of the United States.
“Most devastatingly, the state also reported 108 deaths yesterday,” she said. “The highest number of deaths related to COVID since last March 2020.”
Fried went on to say that hospital admissions are also skyrocketing across the state, rising from over 400 admissions on Saturday to a total of 10,593 in hospitals. Fried said that was the highest value since August 2020.
“This is pushing our hospital system to the limit,” she said. “What has dangerous effects beyond COVID-19.”
Fried offers daily updates on COVID on weekdays after the Florida Department of Health suspended its own daily updates in early June.
“This increase is and will affect each of us,” she said.
Fried added, however, that Florida vaccination rates are also rising – with a total of 334,064 doses administered in the past week.
“There is hope,” said Fried at the end of their video conference. “There is hope to see this through and see it through together.”
Fried said Floridians need to be vaccinated, wear masks, and maintain social distance.
“Please, if you are not vaccinated, get the vaccination,” she said. “It’s very easy.”
Contact Tori Lynn Schneider at tschneider@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @photoriphy. Check out her photos on Instagram @phototori_.
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from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/tallahassee-memorial-healthcare-vp-raises-the-alarm-after-covid-hospital-stays-rose-to-70-over-the-weekend/
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