As COVID Cases Continue To Surge, Doctors Warn Of Long-Term Effects
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 23,903 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, setting yet another record for coronavirus cases in the state.
On Thursday, Florida set the previous record with 22,783 cases.
Dr. Yoran Gutfreund, an emergency room doctor at Jackson Memorial Hospital said they are seeing younger patients.
"The ICU admissions over the last week are 19-year-olds, twenty, 33-year-olds who are very sick and almost every patient who is very sick have something in common in that they are unvaccinated," said Dr. Gutfreund.
Dr. Gutfreund says about 95 percent of their patients intubated are unvaccinated.
He says people still on the fence about getting a vaccine should be alarmed of COVID's after effect.
"So we are seeing 20-year-old persons who could have survived."
"People think the death rate is X and that is it. Spending three weeks in an intensive care unit and almost dying and having chronic lung disease and heart disease, which other people may view as a positive case." said Dr. Gutfreund.
"To them, not dying is a success. It is absolutely not a success. Many people develop chronic diseases. So, prevent it by getting a vaccine or early treatment," he adds.
The Mayo Clinic says COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. "The virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems."
Over at Tropical Park, the delta variant has brought some to get their vaccine
"I came from Argentina to get Pfizer," said 78-year-old Luis Alexander.
Now getting his vaccine, says he was scared.
"There was so many people saying it was bad. So, if we would all just take the vaccine this would end by now," said Alexander.