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Cleveland Browns' breakthrough cases highlight larger community COVID concerns

Ohio doesn't track breakthrough case prevalence unless the person is hospitalized or dies.

CLEVELAND — The breakthrough cases of COVID-19 affecting 17 players and several coaches on the Cleveland Browns this week has us taking a closer look at how to keep yourself best protected.

In Ohio, there are 17 times more patients who are unvaccinated in the hospital than vaccinated. 

And 20 times more unvaccinated people have died so far this year compared to people who are vaccinated.

That context is something medical professionals have been saying since the beginning and something increasingly important to remember as we see these breakthroughs.

Breakthrough cases do happen, but Ohio doesn't track that statistic unless people are hospitalized or die.

Cleveland Clinic doesn't have exact numbers, but most of the people who are vaccinated that show up requiring hospitalization are either elderly or immunocompromised, according to a spokesperson.

"If you've been vaccinated without the booster, you're better off than those who haven't been vaccinated, if you've been vaccinated with the booster, you're still better off," Dr. Donald Ford, Chair of Family Medicine for the Cleveland Clinic said.

So when dealing with a group of vaccinated professional athletes, this is what Dr. Ford expects.

"There's a very, very good chance they're going to have a mild illness and they're going to be out for a period of time, hopefully less than the span for two games," Ford said.

The CDC has seen a seven-fold increase in the number of omicron cases just in the past week.

The longer-term concern is the omicron and delta variants both being prevalent during the regular flu season, what some are calling a triple threat, so Dr. Ford's message is simple.

"It's with us, do everything you can to protect yourself," Ford said.

That means, get vaccinated, wear you mask when around others and make plans ahead of time for the holidays knowing every option carries risk.

"We in the medical community have a lot of information, ultimately this comes down to personal decision and personal responsibility frankly," Ford said.

It's important to remember while it might feel like we've been dealing with it for a long time, COVID-19 is still considered a new virus and these variants are even newer.

So, the scientists and doctors giving this advice right now want us to air on the side of caution, especially as we see limited availability in area hospitals.

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