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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola University Medical Center recently discharged the 2,000th patient successfully treated for COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020. Kevin Smith, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Loyola University Medical Center was struck by the milestone. “It made me feel very proud. At the same time, it made me realize that this is not over yet.” Overall, Loyola Medicine’s three regional hospitals, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park and MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, have discharged over 5,000 COVID-19 patients.
Yesterday, the Illinois Department of Health announced the Omicron variant was detected in a Chicago resident who was fully vaccinated with a booster dose. They are not hospitalized. Richard K. Freeman, MD, MBA, FACS, regional chief clinical officer for Loyola Medicine says that while there is a lot to learn about Omicron, it does not appear to be more virulent than Delta. “Omicron appears to be mitigated by the vaccine. It usually doesn’t make you sick to the point that you have to be in the hospital unless you have an underlying condition.”
This news comes at a time of increased COVID-19 hospitalizations across Loyola Medicine. During the first week of December 2021, thirty-five patients with COVID-19 were admitted to Loyola University Medical Center, an increase of 169% over the same period last month. Nearly half of current COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic and receiving treatment for other conditions. “That means COVID is becoming more prevalent right now in the community,” Dr. Smith noted. “And that does make me worry about what the rest of the month is going to look like.”
Loyola Medicine has processed over a quarter-million COVID-19 tests. Currently, the positivity rate at Loyola University Medical Center is 9.2% for December 2021 compared to 5.2% in November 2021. As people prepare to gather for the holidays, Dr. Freeman advises, “Keep the gathering small. Wear masks if you’re indoors for prolonged periods. Keep it to vaccinated people if at all possible. The majority of folks who do end up in the hospital right now are unvaccinated. The vaccine is protective. Everyone should get it.”
Loyola Medicine has provided vaccinations for over 130,000 patients and colleagues.
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About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago’s western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital and MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from more than 1,800 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties.