The surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations is depleting the doctors, nurses and other health care professionals available to care for the sick and injured in Ohio, experts warned.
The staffing shortages also could mean other procedures at hospitals must be canceled.
As of Monday, Ohio’s hospitals had 2,533 COVID-19 patients, with 628 in the ICU, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.
CBC tests all donations for COVID-19 antibodies
The Community Blood Center is now testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies and will continue to provide free testing through the end of the year.
By testing for COVID-19 antibodies, it will help show how the coronavirus and spreading, as well as identify people who are eligible to donate convalescent plasma that is used to help treat critically ill coronavirus patients. CBC will follow up with a supplemental test for those who qualify to help identify those who could be convalescent plasma donors. For more information, visit http://www.givingblood.org/.
Pop-up testing today at Montgomery County Fairgrounds
A free, walk-up COVID-19 testing site is from noon to 5 p.m. today at the new Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 645 Infirmary Road in Jefferson Twp.
No appointment or doctor’s note is needed to be tested. For more information, call Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County’s COVID-19 line at 937-225-6217.
Local experts: Long way to go for COVID-19 vaccine
Health experts in the Miami Valley say a pharmaceutical company’s announcement that early results show its COVID-19 vaccine may be up to 90% effect should be taken “with an enormous grain of salt.”
“We really have to understand these press releases are designed for the stock market and for shareholders and are not medical information,” said Dr. Glen Solomon, professor and chairman of internal medicine and neurology at Wright State University.
Coronavirus leads to school busing problems
Fairborn, Kettering and Troy schools are having problems transporting students due to a lack of bus drivers amid coronavirus concerns.
Kettering has a “crisis shortage” of bus drivers as it has returned to in-person instruction Monday for the first time since March.
Fairborn has had to cancel transportation to some schools because it doesn’t have many substitute drivers while some bus drivers are quarantining for COVID-19 exposure. And due to staffing shortages in the transportation department as a result of COVID-19, the Troy City Schools today will be online only.
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