'They're all young': Ohio hospitals see more COVID-19 patients under 50

Younger Ohioans with COVID-19 are filling up hospitals more than ever before, health officials said Tuesday, overwhelming providers that are also contending with an exodus of staff.

Gov. Mike DeWine held a media briefing on Tuesday with hospital leaders across the state who say they're seeing a growing number of younger, unvaccinated patients. According to DeWine's office, 398 Ohioans under 50 were hospitalized the week of Sept. 5, compared to just 47 in early July.

The percentage of hospitalizations attributed to that age group increased from 16% in January to 32% in July, DeWine said. Meanwhile, just 35% of people under 40 have received a COVID-19 vaccine. 

“The numbers are higher, the calls are more frequent, our waiting list is longer and they’re all young," said Dr. Suzanne Bennett, with University of Cincinnati Health.

The briefing came as the state reported over 6,800 new cases and 125 deaths, while 3,715 patients with COVID-19 were being treated in hospitals. That includes 1,037 in intensive care, a level last seen in January during the peak of the winter surge, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

Roughly 62% of Ohioans ages 12 and up are vaccinated, but hospital leaders indicated that number isn't high enough to prevent beds and intensive care units from filling up. What's more, hospitals are also seeing staffing shortages after the pandemic prompted nurses to retire early or leave the medical field entirely.

“It’s tragic that it’s just so preventable," said Terri Alexander, a nurse with Summa Health in Akron. 

DeWine continues to encourage people to get vaccinated but has stopped short of issuing any mandates for state employees or the general population. He said Tuesday that his office is considering additional vaccine incentive programs but declined to provide further details.

"There’s a limit to where government should go," he said. "There’s a limit to what state government should be doing."

The governor also hasn't issued a statewide mask mandate for school districts to guard against a surge in COVID-19 cases among children. Over 200 districts out of the state's 609 have universal mandates in place, while 354 made masks optional and 44 require them for some students.

Still, DeWine argued that Ohio is doing what it can and continues to support local health departments that have ideas to get more people inoculated. 

"We’re in better shape in Ohio than they are in some states," he said. "As you know, some states have banned the ability of a hospital to require vaccinations. They banned the ability of schools to mask. That’s not the case in Ohio."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.