COVID hospitalizations show early signs of decrease in West Central, Southwest Ohio

Hospitals in West Central and Southwest Ohio are showing early indications of a decrease in the number of COVID-19 patients.

The regions had a combined 1,455 coronavirus patients hospitalized as of Thursday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. It’s the first time the regions had fewer than 1,500 COVID inpatients in at least two weeks.

West Central Ohio — which includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties — started to show early signs of a decrease Thursday. In the last week, the number of COVID patients hospitalized in the region decreased by 3%, but is up 7% compared from three weeks ago, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

In Southwest Ohio — which includes Butler, Warren, Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Highland counties, hospitalizations have decreased by 11% over the last week but increased by 1% compared to three weeks ago.

Combined the regions saw a 15% decrease in COVID patients compared to last week and a 3% increase compared to three weeks ago, according to OHA. In ICUs, the regions collectively had a 15% decrease from a week ago and 6% decrease from three weeks ago.

The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association reported Thursday that five out of six people who died from COVID in area hospitals were unvaccinated.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, 55,481 people in Ohio who were not fully vaccinated were hospitalized with COVID as well as 3,372 fully-vaccinated people, according to the state health department.

In the last day Ohio added 446 hospitalizations and 47 ICU admissions. The state is averaging 376 COVID hospitalizations a day and 33 ICU admissions a day in the past three weeks.

For the first time since October, Ohio’s COVID transmission rate decreased. The state reported 1,582 COVID cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, according to the state health department. Last Thursday, Ohio had 2,154.8 cases per 100,000 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a high transmission rate as 100 cases per 100,000 people.

According to ODH, local counties are reporting the following transmission rates:

  • Clark County: 2,532 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Warren County: 2,373.4 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Montgomery County: 2,316 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Darke County: 2,383.2 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Butler County: 2,254 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Miami County: 2,194.7 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Greene County: 2,124.2 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Champaign County: 2,113.9 COVID cases per 100,000 people
  • Preble County: 1,795.4 COVID cases per 100,000 people

More than 12,000 COVID cases were reported on Thursday. In the past 21 days, Ohio is averaging 20,034 cases a day.

At least 61% of Ohioans have started the COVID-19, including 71.28% of adults and 65.06% of those 5 and older. About 56% of the state’s population, including 65.91% of adults and 59.76% of people 5 and older, have finished the vaccine.

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