Cleveland Clinic forecast models predict area hospitals will see the highest volumes of COVID-19 patients over the next several weeks as a local surge peaks, according to a Sept. 27 news release.
The forecast model, based on COVID-19 trends in Northern Ohio, has Cleveland Clinic bracing itself for the next several weeks, according to the news release.
The health system is currently reporting the highest volume of patients with COVID-19 (460) since last winter, with about 135 patients requiring intensive care. This is more than double the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized a month ago, according to the news release. The majority of the patients are unvaccinated, according to the health system, which is urging members of its local community to get vaccinated if not already.
The high patient volume is contributing to longer wait times at the system's emergency departments. The organization is closely managing capacity and moving patients to different facilities within its health system. Some locations — Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital — are scheduling fewer nonessential surgeries that require an inpatient stay.
Cuyahoga County was reporting 5,167 virus hospitalizations and 972 intensive care unit COVID-19 admissions as of Sept. 28. The county includes three Cleveland Clinic locations, along with seven Cleveland-based University Hospitals locations, among others.
Across Ohio, COVID-19 cases have increased 6.44 percent over the last week, according to Sept. 28 data tracked by Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The state is seeing a seven-day average of 5,153 new infections reported per 100,000 people.