Have we reached an omicron peak? Local doctors weigh in on possible timeline

MIAMI VALLEY — After seeing a statewide drop in hospitalizations and the below average case counts in Ohio following the omicron variant and a surge of cases, many are asking if Ohio has seen its peak.

The Miami Valley’s data is slightly different than the statewide numbers and local health experts said it was too soon to say we have hit out peak.

“Unfortunately, it is too early to tell that we have peaked at this time,” Sarah Hackenbracht, of the Greater Dayton Hospital Association, said.

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Dr. Jeffery Weinstein, from Kettering Health, told News Center 7′s Molly Koweek that “we may be nearing a plateau, but we’re still seeing a large number of hospitalizations every day.”

Hackenbracht, Weinstein and Dr. Roberto Colon, Chief Medical Officer at Miami Valley Hospital, all agreed that the situation COVID-19 is causing in area hospitals right now is bad.

“That sheer volume of individuals coming in because of COVID-19 is overwhelming our hospitals and our healthcare workers in particular,” Hackenbracht said.

Colon said he predicts we will continue to have a high rate of COVID-19 in our area through at least March.

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“A lot of it depends on how COVID is moving forward. Are we increasing out rates of vaccination, which decreases the number of people susceptible? Are we sticking with out mask recommendations?” Colon said.

Colon said until we see a steady decline for more than a week, we cannot say we are past the peak.

“And even then, we have got to be understanding that just because we got over the peak, doesn’t mean things are much better,” Colon said. “We still have a lot of cases, we still have a lot of hospitalization. It’s not going to feel comfortable until we’re back to the levels that we were last summer.”

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