Cases have been going up — but don’t panic
Yes, we continue to suffer COVID-19 fatigue. But with the number of COVID-19 cases rising recently, some readers might be wondering what it all means.
Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency March 9, 2020, and instituted a number of restrictions, such as stay-at-home orders, mandatory face coverings, closing of schools and limitations on gatherings. Ohio lifted most of its COVID-19-health-related orders in June.
To give the current situation some context:
· The numbers are up but still well below the peak. Last Tuesday, the governor noted that the number of cases has been rising this month, with three days in the previous week of 3,000 or more cases across the state. That was the first time that there were more than 3,000 cases in a single day since February, he said. At the peak of the pandemic for daily cases, Nov. 30, there were 13,006 cases; the next highest were Dec. 5, with 12,007 and Nov. 23, with 11,535. The last time cases were above 10,000 was Jan. 4, with 10,781.
· There’s still capacity left in hospitals. In data supplied to the Ohio Department of Health by the Ohio Hospital Association, of 26,846 available hospital beds statewide, 18,054 (67.2%) were occupied Saturday by non-COVID patients, and 1,813 (6.7%) were occupied by COVID patients, leaving more than a quarter of all beds open. Of 4,789 ICU beds, 11.8% were taken by COVID patients, with more than 27% of all ICU beds remaining. Almost 70% of the ventilator capacity is available.
· Vaccinations appear to be working. The state reported that from its most recent lab-sequenced data, for July 4-17, the Delta variant was responsible for 86.4% of the new cases. In May, it was less than 1% of new cases. The state also said that of the more than 18,300 hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients since Jan. 1, more than 98% of patients were not fully vaccinated.
“This is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said recently. “If you have questions or concerns
about the vaccine, please talk to a trusted health professional for the best information.” The county health department provides COVID-19 information on its website.
Currently, the state’s COVID-19 guidance includes (from “Responsible ReStartOhio,” July 29):
Vaccination: Those 12 and older can safely get the COVID-19 vaccination. A two-dose vaccine can take up to a cumulative five to six weeks to be fully effective. The second dose should be taken four weeks after the first dose. Two weeks after that, you should be fully protected.
Masking: If you are not fully vaccinated, wear a mask in any indoor location that is not a residence; when outdoors, if you cannot maintain at least six feet of distance between people from different households; or when riding in, driving in or operating public transportation, or while in a taxi, car service or ride-sharing vehicle. Be prepared to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, when traveling on public transportation, in a health-care setting or in businesses that choose to require a mask.
A mask should not be worn or placed on an individual younger than 2; on those who cannot remove it without assistance; on those who risk choking if wearing a mask; on a person who is sleeping/napping; on those living with a medical condition that makes it unsafe to wear a mask, such as people with respiratory conditions, mental health conditions or disabilities; while swimming; or when it risks workplace health, safety or job duty.
Congregating: If you are not fully vaccinated, attempt to maintain six feet of distance from anyone; avoid gathering in groups of other unvaccinated people; and when gathering with other unvaccinated people, keep groups to no more than 10, separated from other groups by at least six feet. Also, regularly clean high-touch surfaces and frequently wash hands or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
Exposure: If you experience COVID-19 symptoms, stay away from others and seek medical care if necessary. Get tested for COVID-19. If you likely have COVID-19, isolate from others for at least 10 days. If you are exposed to COVID-19 and are not fully vaccinated, quarantine as the local health department recommends. Optimal quarantine is 14 days; if recommended by the local health department, that can be reduced to seven days if a viral test collected on day five or after comes back negative. If you are exposed and are fully vaccinated, quarantining and testing is generally not necessary unless you feel symptoms.
As of Saturday, Ohio reported 979,074 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with another 199,718 probable (CDC expanded case definition) for a total of 1,178,792 cases since the pandemic began. Ohio resident deaths total 20,689.
In the past two weeks, Clermont County reported 758 cases (367.2 for every 100,000 residents and ranked No. 20 of all 88 counties); Hamilton, 2,335 cases (285.6, No. 36); Warren, 654 cases (278.8, No. 39); and Butler, 897 cases (234.1, No. 55).
As of Saturday, 59.8% (5,980,471) of Ohio’s 12-and-older population had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the state reported. For 18 and up, the rate was 62.1%. The majority of those occurred before the end of April, although vaccinations are ongoing. The federal government also has announced plans for a booster-shot program in the fall, but details are still being worked out.
