With the news of new coronavirus cases, some are perceptibly worried over the situation, while others don’t want to discuss it. Nevertheless, COVID-19 infection has not gone away, and with several festivals and public gatherings on the horizon, there is a need not to let one’s guards down. Although the CDC is easing norms around the pandemic, they can roll back their decisions anytime, depending on the situation. Hence, it makes sense to remain updated about things happening in your neighborhood.
Ohio reported a slight decline in the cases from 16,169 to 16,159 over a week. A USA TODAY Network’s data suggested that the state occupied the 41st position in the faster community transmission rate. Overall, the infection rate has decreased in the US by 1.2%, recording nearly 721,538 cases. Ohio is home to almost 3.51% of the nation’s population. The state accounted for 2.24% of the viral infection occurring in the country over a week. As many as 24 American states witnessed more cases in one week.
The situation in Richland County
Ohio’s Richland County saw one death and 132 new cases over a week compared to no deaths and 128 cases before this. During the pandemic, the county saw 513 COVID casualties and 32,716 incidences.
The situation in Crawford County
The reports suggested an increase in infection rate in this Ohio county, where 52 cases and one death came into sight over a week as against 47 and no deaths a week before. During the pandemic, the county recorded 216 deaths and 11,607 new infections.
The situation in worst-hit Ohio counties
However, of the different locations in the state, Gallia County, Athens County, and Lawrence County seem to be most affected by the pandemic surge. If Gallia County reported 254 cases per 100k people weekly, Lawrence County and Athens County had 244 and 237 cases, respectively, by the same measure. If you go through the CDC’s metrics for identifying high-risk community-level transmission rates, the data suggest that it starts from 100 cases per 100k people weekly. While it is a matter of concern, the good thing is Ohio public shows their increased faith in official measures. More precisely, according to a MyBioSource survey, almost 6% more people believe that official steps are crucial. So, this is a positive trend, even if the number seems bleak at first sight in absolute terms.
If you thought that was it, there is more to lap up. 47 out of 88 counties recorded an increase in overall numbers of new infections over a week. Some counties have added the highest number of new cases, with Hamilton County reporting 1,331, Cuyahoga County 1,603, and Franklin County 2,055 cases. According to experts, counties that looked worst hit by the pace include Warren, Montgomery, and Butler.
Overall situation in Ohio
However, some counties with a remarkable downward trend in COVID-19 cases include Lucas County and Summit County. Lucas had only 436 compared to 606 patients from the week before, and Summit had 627 against 710.
Weekly estimates indicate that Ohio witnessed nearly 121 deaths from COVID over a week compared to no fatality a week earlier. Nevertheless, during this entire duration of the pandemic era, Ohio saw a positivity rate among 2,831,228 people and the death of 38,778 people, as per an observation by Johns Hopkins University. If you look at the overall condition in the US, the country has seen more than one million COVID deaths and 86,967,639 people getting infected.
Hospital admissions in Ohio
A federal hospital report analysis shows that hospitalization cases have been increasing in the state after seeing some slowing down. For example, earlier, a weekly record suggested 1,608 cases, then another four weeks later showed the numbers to be 1,459, and after one week, the figures peaked at 1,639. If you want to compare the situation in your state against the national hospitalization rate, it would be worth noting that a month ago, the country had 54,872 admissions; a week later, it went up by 57,605, and then it increased to 63,626 the subsequent week. If 34 states reported an increase in hospital bed occupancy rate over a week, 25 states saw a rise in the number of patients requiring intensive-care beds.
With the summer vacation ahead, some people wonder whether there will be some relief from the pandemic. A case in point is the last two summer seasons, where the viral infection remained contained, peaking only during the fall and winter months. How much of this will hold this summer is not certain. But health experts warn people of the unpredictable nature of the virus as it continues to mutate and cause trouble across societies. New vaccines and treatment options are offering an excellent protective layer, though. Those fully or partially vaccinated have shown lower tendencies toward getting severely sick or dying of the infection.
