08/24/2021

OhioHealth CEO: Take the Delta Variant Seriously

All we have right now are masks, social distancing and the vaccine

So many of us thought we had left COVID behind. We went back to work. We had parties, ate in crowded restaurants, packed into jubilant bars. On June 2, I took a photo of a group of us out at happy hour—all vaccinated—sheepishly beaming in disbelief that we were together again, unmasked.

On Aug. 18, I attended the Columbus Chamber’s first in-person gathering since COVID ushered in the era of the virtual event. It was a timely agenda: Colleen Marshall in conversation with OhioHealth CEO Steve Markovich about his incredible accomplishments—he is an Air Force fighter pilot who has done tours in Iraq, a two-star general and a medical doctor—and about the incredible 18 months we have just lived through.

Markovich, with his military training, laid out the scenario for us immediately. Cases of COVID-19 are at levels not seen since December 2020 (when I barely left the house). At the time of the event, OhioHealth had between 160 and 200 COVID patients in its hospitals, he told us.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Columbus CEO.