LUBBOCK, Texas– A doctor with University Medical Center physicians posted on social media Wednesday indicating that patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Lubbock hospitals had not received a COVID vaccine.
Craig Barker also added in his social media post that that more than 95% of COVID patients hospitalized had not received even a single dose.
City of Lubbock Director of Public Health Katherine Wells confirmed to EverythingLubbock.com that Barker’s comments on vaccination rates and hospitalized patients were correct.
“Unvaccinated patients account for 95% to 100% of the COVID patients in the hospital depending on the day,” Wells said in an e-mail. “The vaccine is doing what it was designed to do and is slowing the disease spread and drastically reducing the severity of disease in the vaccinated population.”
“Our hospital now has over 20 patients with 8 in the ICU and a couple on the vent with most beds full…”
-craig barker
According to Barker, the Pfizer vaccine went to phase 3 trials, so it has been in humans for about a year. Furthermore, he said 338 million or so doses were given in the United States (all vaccines), and 3.6 billion (all vaccines) were given worldwide.
Over the course of the month of July, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has consistently increased. UMC reported 17 in-patients, with seven in intensive care, while Covenant reported 22 in-patients with around half in the ICU.
People who have refrained from getting their dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are shown to be more vulnerable, experts said. As more people are affected, hospitals are concerned for their well-being.
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