Florida COVID hospitalizations doubled in a week, but not every admission due to virus

ORLANDO, Fla. – COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida have doubled in a week, according to the Florida Hospital Association.

FHA reports 6,623 are hospitalized and have COVID-19. On Dec. 28, FHA reported 2,754 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

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Health and Human Services report pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have quadrupled since Dec. 22.

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HHS reports 169 pediatric patients have been hospitalized with the virus. On Dec. 22 the number was listed at 42.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said 50% of COVID hospitalizations at Orlando Health are not being treated for the virus.

“We have found that a great majority of our hospital in-patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, were admitted for medical conditions not related to the virus,” Orlando Health spokeswoman Alayna Curry said.

Curry said people who are getting the omicron variant have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

“We have treated and released thousands of COVID-19 positive patients in our emergency rooms over the past few weeks, and it is only a very small minority who are ill enough to need admission to our hospitals because of their COVID-19,” Curry said.

Health officials stressed anyone who is unvaccinated should get a shot.

“Of those patients admitted for COVID-19, the sickest of these continue to be those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Curry said.