Fewer than 100 COVID patients hospitalized in Dayton-area for first time in 7 months

For the first time since early August, the Dayton-area had fewer than 100 people hospitalized with COVID-19. It’s been seven months since the region reported fewer than 100 coronavirus inpatients.

As of Wednesday, 83 people were hospitalized in west central Ohio with coronavirus, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. West central Ohio includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties.

One in 26 patients hospitalized in the region have the virus, compared to one in five patients 60 days ago. During that same time period, COVID inpatients have decreased by 83% in west central Ohio.

Wednesday also marked the first time Ohio had fewer than 1,000 COVID patients hospitalized statewide in nearly seven months. Similar to west central Ohio, the state reported an 84% drop in coronavirus inpatients in the last 60 days, according to OHA. Southwest Ohio — which includes Butler, Warren, Clinton Hamilton, Clermont, Brown and Adam counties — has seen a slightly slower decrease with a decline of 68% compared to 60 days ago.

The number of coronavirus patients in west central Ohio’s ICUs is also continuing to rapidly decrease following the omicron surge. The region had 10 ICU patients with COVID as of Wednesday, the fewest reported since late July. Statewide the number dropped below 200 for the first time in seven months.

One in 28 ICU patients in west central Ohio have COVID, according to OHA. Sixty days ago one in four ICU patients had the virus in the region. The number of ICU patients with coronavirus have decreased by 91% over the last 60 days in west central Ohio and dropped by 85% statewide.

Wednesday was the third day in a row southwest Ohio had fewer than 50 ICU patients with COVID. The region recorded a 72% decrease in the last 60 days, according to OHA.

In the past day the state added 111 COVID hospitalizations and six ICU admissions, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Ohio is averaging 126 hospitalizations a day and 13 ICU admissions a day in the last three weeks.

Ohio added 1,171 cases on Wednesday, bringing its 21-day average to 1,627 coronavirus cases a day. Wednesday marked the fifth straight day the state reported fewer than 1,500 daily cases and 11th day in a row Ohio’s recorded fewer than 2,000 cases in a day.

Nearly 62% of Ohioans have started the COVID vaccine, including 71.86% of adults and 65.72% of people ages 5 and older, according to the state health department. More than 57% of residents have completed the vaccination, including 66.68% of adults and 60.77% of those 5 and older.

As of Wednesday, approximately 7.23 million Ohioans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 6.68 million people have finished it. Nearly 3.39 million people in the state have received a booster or additional dose, according to ODH.

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