COVID-19-driven hospitalizations in West Virginia finally dropped to less than 300 on Monday after peaking at nearly 1,100 on Feb. 2, which left many understaffed hospitals dependent on help from the National Guard. Even with the National Guard officially ending its hospital mission and COVID declining sharply, hospitals have a long way to go to catch up on elective surgeries.The West Virginia Hospital Association said rather than elective surgeries jumping back to normal, it’s a backlogged to normal path with thousands of pandemic delayed surgeries. State hospitals have 500 fewer beds that they can staff than 18 months ago. West Virginia Hospital Association President Jim Kaufman said pandemic burnout, retirements and moves out of state for better pay will still have hospitals short on staff.