“We clearly have been seeing a modest rise,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH director.
There were 216 hospitalizations in Ohio related to COVID in the most recent week, similar to the three-week average of 215 hospitalizations.
There were 21 deaths related to COVID reported last week, up slightly from the three-week average of 17 deaths per week.
“These numbers are a stark reminder that if you spread the virus to a family member or friend who’s in a high-risk category, such as someone over 65 or those who have impaired immunity, a COVID -19 infection could be a very serious threat to their health,” Vanderhoff said.
“The good news is that we have a very safe and very effective vaccine to prevent this illness and lessen its impact,” Vanderhoff said.
Nationally, test positivity for COVID is at 18%, same as the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of emergency department visits in the U.S., 2.5% of them are related to COVID, which is same as the previous week. The rate of hospitalizations for COVID is 4.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, and 1.8% of deaths in the U.S. are due to COVID, the CDC says.
Wastewater samples indicating COVID increases
COVID cases themselves are likely underreported due to the availability of at-home testing, but ODH is also utilizing wastewater testing in order to monitor COVID trends.
“That is showing a very similar trend to the numbers we are seeing,” Vanderhoff said about wastewater trends.
In the Dayton region, wastewater samples are testing positive for COVID at a steady rate, according to ODH. In Preble County, samples from Eaton show COVID levels are increasing. Wastewater samples collected in Yellow Springs and Oxford both show that COVID levels are increasing substantially.
Other areas in the region showing positive tests for COVID include Greenville, Springfield, Beavercreek and Hamilton, according to ODH data.
FDA approves fall vaccine
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2.
“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality.”
The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with this formula to target more closely the variants that are currently circulating and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death, the FDA said.
“Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants,” Marks said.
The updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines include Comirnaty and Spikevax, both of which are approved for individuals 12 years of age and older, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, both of which are authorized for emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age.
“The good news is that the new vaccine...does include some of the changes that we see currently circulating variants,” Vanderhoff said. The variants in circulation are all Omicron variants, which have similar mutations to one another, he said.
“The vaccine has broad-based immunity,” said Dr. Joe Gastaldo, an infectious disease specialist and vice president of clinical affairs for OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital.
Some vaccines may already be available, though Vanderhoff said people should check with locations, like pharmacies, first. To find more locations for vaccines, visit vaccines.gov.
What you need to know
- Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated, authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
- Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
- Individuals 5 years through 11 years of age regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
- Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, approved Comirnaty or the updated, approved Spikevax; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
- Additional doses are authorized for certain immunocompromised individuals ages 6 months through 11 years of age as described in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine fact sheets.
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