By Laura Olson, Ohio Capital Journal and Maija Zummo, Monday, December 13, 2021 at 11:44 AM
When federal public health officials released new data on the first 43 cases in the United States on Friday, they said that 25 states have detected new cases of COVID-19, a variant of Omicron.
On Saturday, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) confirmed two cases in the state where the variant is located, bringing the number of cases in that state to at least 26.
"We know that it is only a matter of time before an Omicron case is discovered in Ohio. The CDC believes that this variant has likely been spreading in the United States since November," said Dr. Bruce van der Hoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health Said in a press release. "The arrival of this variant and the continued impact of the Delta variant underscore the importance of our best preventive tool, which is to choose vaccination. The combination of COVID-19 vaccine and preventive measures can provide maximum protection against serious diseases. Leading to hospitalization or death."
According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of the first confirmed Omicron cases were between 18 and 39 years old. Valensky said at a press conference on Friday that about one-third of the infected are people who have recently travelled abroad. And 80%, 34 people, were fully vaccinated, including some who had recently received boosters.
Walensky said that so far, most Omicron infections have caused only mild symptoms, adding that this is in line with expectations for fully vaccinated individuals. Two cases in Ohio were confirmed in men located in central Ohio. Both received a positive PCR test on December 7 and had mild symptoms. ODH said that they completed their first COVID-19 vaccine more than two months ago. Valensky and other public health officials said that early data suggests that getting a vaccine booster can enhance protection against new variants, urging anyone who currently meets the conditions—including those 16 and 17 who are eligible this week— -Get attention on the auction.
Although the unknown of the new variant still exists, officials emphasized that the highly contagious delta variant that caused the surge in summer infections is still the main threat.
"Currently, more than 99% of cases in this country are caused by Delta mutations, which has led to an increase in the number of cases and hospitalizations," Varensky said. ODH’s Vanderhoff agreed in a press release, “Although Omicron’s arrival in Ohio is noteworthy, we cannot ignore the fact that the Delta variant continues to drive very high cases and hospitalization rates. As of yesterday, there were 4,422 COVID-19 patients in the hospital. Patients, this high level is consistent with what we experienced during the surge last winter in January 2021." Ohio's COVID-19 dashboard tracks not only overall trend data, but also specific variant data.
Last week, the national average number of COVID infections in seven days increased by 37%, while the number of hospitalizations increased by 16% during the same period, and the number of deaths increased by 28%. These rising numbers came after families gathered for Thanksgiving last month, and many people are preparing for this month’s holiday gathering.
When asked if anyone should re-evaluate vacation travel plans to provide any guidance, Varensky said that gathering together this season will require Americans to remain "vigilant" on safety precautions. She reiterated that, if possible, it is necessary to ensure that those who gather together are fully vaccinated and bolstered, and put on a mask and tested for COVID-19 in the weeks before any gathering. Part of this story was originally published by Ohio Capital Magazine and republished here with permission.
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