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Of Ohioans hospitalized with COVID-19, 98.4 percent were unvaccinated

By Mahoning Matters staff
Gov. Mike DeWine during his state coronavirus update on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.
Gov. Mike DeWine during his state coronavirus update on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021.

COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine today provided stark data on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Of the 18,662 Ohioans hospitalized with COVID-19 since Jan. 1, 98.4 percent, or 18,367 people, were unvaccinated.

"We're at a new stage in the pandemic," DeWine said in his first coronavirus briefing in about six weeks.

The spread of the delta variant has reversed the trend of declining hospitalizations in the state.

On July 23, there were 391 people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide. By Aug. 5, that number more than doubled and rose to 857.

This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Of Ohioans hospitalized with COVID-19, 98.4 percent were unvaccinated."