Michigan Medicine feeling the surge of omicron COVID-19 cases

FOX 2 - "Michigan Medicine and across our state healthcare is truly at a crisis," said Dr. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine.

It is a crisis that is putting more people at risk including those who rely on medical care - as more cases of COVID-19 surge.

"We’ve had 739 employees test positive for Covid 19 since January 1," said Dr. David Miller, president, University of Michigan Health.

"This staffing shortage is the most serious we have ever seen," said Runge.

Michigan Medicine will have a two-week pause on visitors to the adult hospitals effective on Wednesday due to the contagiousness of the omicron variant.

The variant leading to higher Covid positivity rates - even among children.

"We have never seen this many children hospitalized with COVID-19," said Dr. Erika Newman, C.S. Mott's Children's Hospital. "We are seeing younger kids and teens with Covid-related respiratory illnesses, pneumonia."

"We are also concerned about the increased cases in pregnant women that could increase premature births," said Luanne Ewald, CEO Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.

The vast majority of Covid patients receiving care at Michigan Medicine are unvaccinated. And as more people need treatment for coronavirus at hospitals, Michigan Medicine is forced to make changes.

"(It has) postponed or canceled more than 250 surgeries since the surge began in December," Miller said.

As officials at Michigan Medicine work to slow the spread of COVID-19, they are asking the community to help out.

"I cannot stress enough the importance of vaccination including that booster shot to everyone in eligible age groups," said Dr. Laraine Washer, U-M Health.