Union County is experiencing high transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Though some have compared the virus to the flu, Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said doing so is inaccurate. Over the nine years from 2012-2020, UCHD data shows there were 162 flu-related hospitalizations in Union County. In comparison, in just 19 months between 2020 and July 2021, there were 233 COVID-19 hospitalizations. (Graphic submitted)
Union County is once again an area with high transmission of COVID-19.
After a temporary lull in cases, Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said hospitalizations and cases have “started taking off” recently.
“It’s not going to sound terribly encouraging, I’m afraid,” Orcena said during the most recent Board of Health meeting.
For the week ending Aug. 13, 70 new cases were reported among Union County residents. In the past 11 days, six county residents have required hospitalization for COVID-19.
Orcena said the area – much like the rest of the nation – is beginning to see a surge that mirrors the pattern seen last year.
In 2020, there was a dip in cases during the summer before numbers increased throughout the fall and spiked in the winter.
“We’re where we were in mid- to late October last year,” Orcena said, adding that means there could be a spike about eight weeks earlier in the year than was seen in January 2020.
Orcena said the combination of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 and the relaxation of prior restrictions is driving the surge.
He said it is safe to assume that most new cases are caused by the Delta strain, as statistics show over 85% of tested cases in Ohio are the new variant.
While the variant is more contagious, Orcena said wearing masks and getting vaccinations are still effective safeguards.
He said numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that wearing a mask results in lower transmission of the virus. Orcena said Union County schools are a “good example” of that in practicality.
Local districts had very low transmission of the virus in school buildings during the 2019-2020 academic year while mask mandates and other protective measures were in place, Orcena said. He noted that almost every case associated with a school was contracted during extracurricular or other activities.
Though many local districts are electing to start the school year without a mask requirement, Orcena said the health department still meets with school administrators on a weekly basis to provide guidance.
He said educators are in touch with their communities and understand what mandates will or will not be accepted.
For that reason, he said school recommendations may end up being more lenient than the strongest public health guidance.
“There’s going to come a point when our recommendations may diverge from what a school does,” Orcena said. “All I can do is advise.”
Public Information Officer Jennifer Thrush said Friday that the health department is following CDC guidance that advises all unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask. It also encourages those who are vaccinated to “maximize their protection” by wearing a mask in indoor settings when they cannot social distance.
Along with masks, Orcena said the strongest protection against the virus is the vaccine.
He said hospitalizations and deaths are “primarily in the unvaccinated population.”
Orcena equated getting the COVID-19 vaccine to wearing a raincoat in a storm. He said it will protect the person in most conditions, but there’s still a chance they get wet – or, in this case, contract the virus.
However, he said the current conditions have increased that chance.
“We went from having a drizzle… now we’re jumping in a swimming pool,” Orcena said.
He said “no vaccine is 100%,” so there will still be a number of people who got the shot and contract the virus.
Even so, he said those cases are usually mild or asymptomatic. He emphasized that the vaccine is designed to keep people from experiencing severe symptoms of the virus and requiring hospitalization.
Board member Tiffany Wood asked Orcena when the COVID-19 pandemic will reach a point in which the virus is treated similarly to the flu virus.
Orcena emphasized it is not accurate to compare the current severity of the flu virus to COVID-19.
Over the nine years from 2012-2020, UCHD data shows there were 162 flu-related hospitalizations in Union County. In comparison, in just 19 months between 2020 and July 2021, there were 233 COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Orcena explained that “most adults have an exposure to the flu at some level” which makes their immune systems better equipped to fight that virus. COVID-19 is “not endemic yet,” meaning less people’s bodies can fight the illness.
“We still have a huge portion of the population that hasn’t been exposed (to COVID-19) and now all the layered restrictions have been lifted,” he said.
With that in mind, Orcena said his advice is “not stopping our business, but limiting some activities to try to reduce the spread.”
Moving forward, he said individuals should do their best to abide by public health guidance, while evaluating what activities they are willing to engage in.
“Everyone has to weigh their risk tolerance for themselves,” he said.