COVID numbers reach highest level since March

TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio’s new COVID-19 infections have climbed to the highest levels since the middle of March. On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 8,607 new infections in the past week.

The total is about 800 more than last week’s reporting period and continues a recent trend of increasing numbers.

With the rising numbers, hospitalizations have also been climbing. But, new hospitalizations actually fell slightly in Ohio this week. There were 163 hospitalizations during the past week compared to 171 during the previous week’s reporting period.

The state’s case rate also climbed to 129.6, which is higher than the 100 threshold that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers high incidence. But the largest outbreaks are in southern Ohio, as of Thursday. Jackson County, east of Cincinnati, has an incidence rate of 500. Northwest Ohio only has three counties in the top 50: Erie, Allen and Sandusky. Erie County is No. 16 of 88 with a rate of 207.

Northwest Ohio has seen its hospitalizations double in the past week. As of Thursday, area hospitals have 52 COVID-positive patients. That does not mean they are in the hospital because of COVID.

Dr. Brian Kaminski, ProMedica’s vice president of medical affairs, said there is a rise in cases, but not alarming.

“Just remember that the increase is coming from a very low level,” he said. “The amount of cases we have in the hospital right now is significantly lower than anything we would have labeled a surge previously.”

Recent numbers indicate that possibly 95% of Americans now have some type of immunity against COVID-19, whether that is from the vaccine, previous infection or a combination of both. Three years ago, the disease was foreign to our bodies, but that is no longer the case.

“This is a different disease. When COVID first came, we were all acquainting ourselves with it and getting used to it. It was a very severe disease for many people, even people without risk factors,” Kaminski said. “We treated people supportively and then, amazingly, in three years, not only do we now have an effective vaccine, but we have a number of different treatments that we use now.”

He did recommend that people continue to test if they are feeling ill and suspect it could be COVID. Tests are still available at pharmacies, and what may only seem like a simple cold could be COVID. New medications are most effective if they are taken early in the illness.