Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena recently shared encouraging news surrounding the coronavirus’ current impact on the county.
“The picture is improving, but it’s not over,” he said during Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting.
Orcena said the most recent surge seems to have subsided. Though he expects some cases over the holiday season, he said the spike appears to be ending.
The health commissioner said the surge in cases over the past several months was a “smaller, shorter” spike than the one that was experienced in the winter of 2020.
The surge last year entailed approximately 60 cases per day in Union County, compared to about 40 cases per day during the peak this year.
Aside from just cases, Orcena said there have been “much fewer” deaths during this surge.
He noted that there have been “a number of deaths” over the past few weeks, specifically among individuals who were hospitalized for an extended period of time.
Orcena said he is hopeful that numbers will subside, especially as several others have.
COVID-19 case counts have seen “a couple weeks in a row of pretty stable decline,” he said.
Orcena said cases are generally the best measure for the spread of COVID throughout the community.
Still, he said the data is limited because “a lot of folks aren’t testing.” He said that could be because individuals now know the symptoms of COVID and choose to take precautionary measures on their own.
“It’s hard to know the full extent,” Orcena said.
He noted that he expects to see the number of local individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 decrease over the next few weeks. Orcena explained that hospital counts are a “lagging indicator,” meaning they generally increase or decrease after case counts do.
At this time, he said there are still “lots” of hospitalizations throughout central Ohio but they are “beginning to trend downward in the region.”
Orcena added that those hospitalized with the virus are trending “younger and younger.”
The demographics of those in hospitals this year are starkly different than in 2020, as those severely ill were “almost exclusively older,” he explained.
This could be in part due to vaccination rates, Orcena said, as the percentage vaccinated increases with age.
Overall, Orcena said the vaccination rate throughout Union County is “pretty good,” even among youths.
He said approximately 50% of school-aged individuals county-wide have gotten the shot, but the number is higher in specific areas.
“I think that’s a lot higher than most people realize,” Orcena said.
The Union County Health Department is currently offering first doses of the vaccine and booster shots for high-risk individuals who are already fully vaccinated.
UCHD is currently only offering the booster to those who completed their second Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and meet specific eligibility requirements.
Orcena said he expects booster shots to be approved for the rest of the population by U.S. regulators by the end of the first week of November. He said he believes vaccines will also be approved for children ages 5-11 around that time.
Director of Nursing Krista Finch said the health department is prepared to vaccinate children, who will receive a different dose than adults do.
She said UCHD already placed a request to receive the pediatric Pfizer vaccine, but will not receive or begin administering it until the FDA and CDC provide their recommendations.
U.S. regulators on Wednesday approved booster shots for those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They said anyone eligible for the extra dose can get a different brand than the one they received initially, according to The Associated Press.
Orcena said UCHD has been administering “almost exclusively” the Pfizer vaccine for first doses.
“Mix and match boosters,” or receiving a different brand for the extra dose, “would probably help our community” by making it more accessible, Orcena said.
However, he said most individuals are going to the provider where they received their first dose to get a booster shot, so mix and match many not always be necessary.
Appointments for those who are currently eligible can be scheduled at www.uchdclinic.org.