(WWJ) Nearly 60 medical staff members at Henry Ford Health System put their John Hancock on a brief, open letter with a big message—a unified call for Michiganders to get vaccinated.
56 medical professionals from all six hospitals in the health system—including doctors and nurses—signed the letter to be published in The Detroit Free Press Sunday morning. It will also appear in several other community newspapers across the state.
“Vaccination provides the best protection against COVID-19, including unnecessary surges – like the new Delta variant that’s currently sweeping across Michigan,” the letter reads. “Vaccines are effective at preventing the devastating effects of the illness and stopping the spread to our community.”
Henry Ford’s top clinician Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer was one of the doctors who signed.
“Our message is very simple: Vaccines save lives,” Dr. Munkarah said. “We implore those who are still reluctant or hesitant to speak to their trusted doctor. Each of us has a personal responsibility to not only protect ourselves but also to protect our loved ones and our community. We all have a stake in the outcome of this pandemic….”
He added they “back the science of the vaccines” and remain “committed to fighting dangerous misinformation about then.”
This comes as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports more than 20,000 deaths statewide attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic—or enough to fill Little Caesars Arena.
More than 847,000 Michiganders—or enough people to fill Little Caesars Arena 42.35 times over---are considered recovered from the virus after surviving 30 days since testing positive for the virus. The fatality rate is 2.2%.
Nearly 3,130 cases and 29 more deaths were reported Friday over a two day period, including 14 from a review of vital records.
Nearly 800 adults are hospitalized with a confirmed case of COVID-19 across the state, according to MDHHS. More than half of those hospitalizations are in metro Detroit.
State data shows about 70 of the patients are on ventilators and 185 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
15 children are receiving treatment in a hospital for a confirmed case of the virus, according to MDHHS.
Henry Ford Health System reports a statewide increase in hospitalizations of more than 90% in the past two weeks. No data has been released on their ages and underlying health conditions. Health officials say "the vast majority" are unvaccinated--but no further numbers have been specified for Michigan.
In an analysis of 40 states from January to July, the New York Times reported the fully vaccinated ranged from .1 to 5% of people who are hospitalized. In other words, depending on what state; anywhere from 99.9% to 95% of people in hospitals had not received the full COVID-19 vaccine regimen, according to the NYT report.
.2% to 6% of those who died were vaccinated, according to the New York Times--meaning 99.8% to 94% of the fatalities had not received both doses of the vaccine.
The New York Times reported, in Michigan, fully vaccinated people made up 1.1% of all hospitalizations (569) statewide since shots began rolling out. 223 people in Michigan have died of breakthrough infection--that accounts for 3.3% of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan since the vaccinations became available.
Dr. Munkarah said the recent spike in hospitalizations is due to the spread of the “highly contagious Delta variant.” In a release, he added the lengthy and unrelenting pandemic is taking its toll on healthcare workers.
He said the frontline workers are “emotionally spent, exasperated and exhausted after three COVID surges.”
The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard reports over 64% of Michiganders 16 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 55% of the state’s entire population is fully vaccinated.
The state’s test positivity rate currently stands at 7.5%. One month ago, it was 2.1%.
Related
Additional resources:
Information about where to receive the vaccine in Michigan here
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information on the COVID-19 vaccine here