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Two local hospitals reporting zero active COVID-19 ICU patients

Artist's rendering of the new Sands-Constellation Center for Critical Care
Rochester General Hospital
Artist's rendering of the new Sands-Constellation Center for Critical Care

Officials with Rochester General Hospital and Unity Hospital say that those hospitals do not have any active COVID-19 cases in their Intensive Care Units. They say that patients currently admitted to the ICU with COVID-like symptoms are experiencing the long-haul effects.

Dr. Jake Lyons, Medical Director for Unity’s ICU, attributes this milestone to a more knowledgeable staff and the vaccines. 

“We learned a lot along the way,” Lyons says. “We were better at managing some of the complications that COVID would have on the patients, but a large component, in my opinion, is the vaccinations.”

Lyons says his most recent active COVID-19 cases were patients who were unvaccinated. He says his staff has been battle-tested, and is prepared to take on cases again if they need to.

“We're still going to remain on guard, it's still going to be something that we have to worry about,” says Lyons. “Hopefully, we won't have the stress on our ICU’s, and we'll be able to provide more direct care to those folks.”

Lyons says that at the height of the pandemic, Unity’s ICU was at double of its capacity. He says the psychological effects of those times was the biggest strain on his team, but now he and his colleagues are finally experiencing some relief.

Racquel Stephen is a health and environment reporter. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in broadcasting and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.