COVID-related hospitalizations are still doing better this year than in previous years.
“COVID hospitalizations are currently averaging about 450 a week compared to about 600 at this point last year, and between 2,000 and 3,000 in 2021. What I do find concerning, though, is the low number of Ohioans who have received the updated COVID vaccine that became available in September,” Vanderhoff said.
While only about 9.3% of all Ohioans have had the updated vaccine, the percentage of older adults who have gotten is higher at about 29% of people 65 and older, he said.
“There remains a lot of room for improvement, and let’s not forget that this virus is still causing several dozen deaths every week in Ohio,” Vanderhoff said.
The updated vaccine protects against severe illness, and those who have been vaccinated have shown to have a reduced risk of developing long COVID, Vanderhoff said. Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms that persist weeks, months, or even years after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In addition to COVID, influenza, and RSV, Ohio is seeing the spread of other illnesses that haven’t been prevalent in recent years but are making a comeback.
“This year, we have seen an increase in a variety of other respiratory illnesses including well known bacterial pathogens we haven’t seen much of the last few years,” Vanderhoff said.
One bacterial pathogen parts of Ohio are seeing is the bacterium mycoplasma pneumonia, which Vanderhoff said is historically one of the more common causes of bacterial pneumonia, especially in younger people.
“This bacterium is well known to physicians, but worldwide, we’re seeing this organism bounce back this year after not having played much of a role the last few winters,” Vanderhoff said.
Warren County reported a cluster of pediatric pneumonia cases last month. Since August, those cases have increased to 176, according to the Warren County Health District.
While most cases of pneumonia are not reportable to ODH, this one is due it being an outbreak, meaning there has been an unusual number of cases of the same illness at the same time in the same area, according to Vanderhoff.
“Historically, many diseases have cyclical patterns, and according to CDC data, pertussis tends to be every three to five years. What we’re seeing in Ohio is not outside the realm of these periodic increases,” ealth officials there, the outbreak appears to have been caused by a variety of common organisms including mycoplasma. We also are encouraged to hear that the number of new cases reported in Warren County has slowed recently.”
There is a pneumonia vaccine available, but it’s for another bacterium, streptococcus pneumonia, Vanderhoff said. There is no vaccine for the mycoplasma bacterium, and there are many causes of pneumonia.
Whooping cough — also called pertussis — is also spreading in the state, which Vanderhoff said is a vaccine-preventable illness.
Locally, there have been 141 total reported cases of whooping cough in Montgomery County since September, according to Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County. About 33% of the cases have been reported in children between the ages of four and six years old.
“It also has been a year of elevated cases of pertussis in Ohio. The disease, also known as whooping cough, can cause serious illness, especially in babies and young children,” Vanderhoff said.
The rise of whooping cough is also not uncommon, he said. Illnesses like whooping cough can go up every few years.
“Historically, many diseases have cyclical patterns, and according to CDC data, pertussis tends to be every three to five years,” Vanderhoff said. “What we’re seeing in Ohio is not outside the realm of these periodic increases.”
Current flu activity in the state continues to be moderate, ODH’s latest weekly report says. The most recent number of people currently hospitalized in the state for flu-related illnesses is 120, which is an increase of 13.21%. Flu-like illnesses are about 3.73% of outpatient visits, according to ODH, which is a slight increase of 1.91%
The total number of flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio this season so far have reached 418, according to ODH. Montgomery County has increased to 39 hospitalizations, Butler County is at 14 hospitalizations, and the remaining Dayton-region counties are are fewer than 10.
Vaccinations for RSV are available as the RSV season picks up. Adults 60 and older, pregnant individuals, and certain babies and young children are eligible to receive a vaccine.
To fine a vaccine location, visit vaccines.org.
About the Author
