GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mercy Health addressed the impact the pandemic is having on its hospitals Wednesday afternoon, saying they're seeing an average of more than 1,000 new cases every day and high positivity rates.
But do the numbers include at-home tests?
Mercy Health said their current testing numbers are likely an underestimate of the true situation because so many people are testing at home or work.
Their update included:
• Current state of the pandemic and what they're seeing in the hospital
• Overview of current therapies, availability and eligibility
• Importance of establishing a Primary Care Provider to navigate COVID care
Rev. Khary Bridgewater, Chair of the Kent County Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Team also provided an update on how the faith community is responding to the pandemic.
Right now, Mercy said it is seeing a slow and steady rise in the number of patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19, but thankfully, it's not at the alarming rate they are seeing with new infections.
State health officials believe 90% of new cases are likely the omicron variant, which is said to be more mild than the delta variant. Mercy Health said the pandemic is also causing issues for non-COVID patients because ambulances are being diverted. In some cases, patients have been transported via helicopter because no ambulances were available.
Mercy Health said that right now it is working to keep its workforce protected from this virus and to keep hospitals staffed.
"Our biggest concern at this point, is our ability to keep our workforce healthy," said Dr. Matthew Biersack, an Internal Medicine Hospitalist for Mercy Health. "We have just under 200 Mercy Health colleagues here in Grand Rapids who are on leave due to COVID. This is a number in a rate that we have not seen previously."
Doctors explained that one of the biggest differences between typical infections with influenza or regular viruses is the flu tends to make you feel sick at the very beginning, and then slowly taper off, but with COVID, you may feel subtle symptoms that suddenly get worse.
If you are going to visit someone elderly or with pre-existing conditions, doctors suggest getting tested before to make sure you are not COVID positive.
They are also encouraging those who are not vaccinated to seriously rethink their decision.
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