Maryland Hospital Association Marks Upcoming Two-Year Anniversary Of COVID-19 Fight
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Doctors, nurses and medical staff in the state are approaching the two-year anniversary of the fight against COVID-19, the Maryland Hospital Association said on Monday.
Three Montgomery County residents -- a married couple in their 70's and another woman in her 50's -- became the first Marylanders to test positive for the virus on March 4, 2020.
Officials said at the time the patients returned from international travel on February 20 and that the state learned of it on March 3.
In the time since, 13,859 deaths have been attributed to the virus and the state health department has confirmed 1,002,279 cases of the disease.
Bob Atlas, president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association, said medical workers have saved nearly 58,000 lives during the pandemic.
"We continue to be inspired by the strength, perseverance, and compassion of our hospital workforce," said Atlas. "After 730 days battling COVID-19, they have cared for Maryland through every surge and still work 24/7 to keep everyone safe. They are true heroes."
More than 71,000 Marylanders have been hospitalized with the virus, Atlas said, with the number of patients peaking last month during the Omicron variant surge. Fifteen hospitals, or one-third of the state's acute-care hospitals, moved to crisis standards of care.
"We remain grateful for the dedication and skill of our hospital heroes for all they continue to do during this health care crisis," Atlas said.