Sarasota Memorial Hospital COVID-19 Update

July 19, 2021

Sarasota Memorial has received many questions from the public and media about the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases. Below is a link to a recorded interview with infectious disease specialist Manuel Gordillo, MD, medical director of Sarasota Memorial Infection Prevention and Control (questions have been combined with time stamps below). 

https://youtu.be/zVXh-vKAQPc 

COVID patient stats: Just one month ago, the number of COVID patients in Sarasota Memorial Hospital was in the single digits and we had no COVID patients in our ICU. As of this morning, we had 36 patients hospitalized with COVID. Of those, 7 are in the ICU. 

Nearly all recent COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths across the U.S. have been among people who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, and we are seeing this same trend among our own patients. Many are younger than the patients we previously saw, some even in their 30s. 

As for break-through infections, most cases continue to be mild. Of nearly 100 patients admitted with COVID to SMH during the past 30 days, only 6 have met the criteria for a break-through infection (patients who test positive for COVID at least 14 days after completing their COVID vaccine series).

Overview of COVID cases/exponential growth 
2:00 – How vaccination helps prevent the spread of COVID and variant cases 
4:00 – More about the Delta variant and factors triggering this fourth surge 
6:00 – How concerning is the resurgence 
7:45 – Vast majority of admitted patients/those with severe disease are unvaccinated 
9:20 – Advice to help overcome vaccine hesitancy 
13:30 – When/will we need booster vaccinations 
15:40 – Break-through infections 
18:30 – Long COVID symptoms 
20:00 – Overcoming vaccine hesitancy 
22:55 – age/demographics of people who are being infected 
25:00 – how covid has impacted healthcare workers 
28:30 – Is the COVID vaccine safe for children 
29:40 – Masking recommendations and precautions to protect children 
34:35 – Delta infections in children 
37:30 – Precautionary measures that protect school children and employees 
39:00 – Predictions re: surges/infections in the coming weeks/months