Health
COVID-19 cases rising in Columbus, but fall vaccine access uncertain
While numbers remain low, COVID-19 cases are slightly on the rise in central Ohio and across the nation.
Officials with the Ohio Department of Health said they don’t believe a major surge is coming anytime soon, and no new COVID variants have been detected among recently reported cases.
“We still are experiencing some of the lowest levels of case numbers since the start of the pandemic,” said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff at a Thursday press conference. “Consider this: one year ago, on August 17, 2022. There had been over 23,000 new cases in the previous week. Last week, there were just under 3,000.”
But health officials say potential disparities in access to vaccines and booster shots could be a challenge in the coming months.
What are the COVID-19 numbers around Columbus and Ohio?
During the first week of August, some 399 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Franklin County, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. However, the county’s cases remain lower than the same time last year, and the county is classified as a low-risk area for COVID transmission.
The summers of 2020, 2021 and 2022 saw increases in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. This summer, the upswing is coming later and is much smaller, data suggests.
More:COVID rates are climbing but nowhere near what they were. This year’s story is different.
OhioHealth has seen 45 people admitted to the hospital system in the past week with COVID-19, up from 34 the previous week and 26 two weeks ago, said Dr. Joe Gastaldo, OhioHealth’s vice president of clinical affairs. They’re also recording a positivity rate of about 20%, meaning that one in five patients reporting symptoms of COVID-19 have received a positive test.
The virus that causes COVID isn’t going away, Dr. Gastaldo said. But for the time being, no new variants are being detected in our area, and local hospitals are having no trouble dealing with a slight influx of patients.
With emergency order lifted, treatment could be harder to come by
An updated booster is expected to be approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control sometime this fall.
ODH spokesperson Michelle Sumner said the new booster “targets the XBB variant of Omicron that currently is predominant,” and that ODH will release further information on the booster when it becomes available.
Yet since the federal Public Health Emergency declaration was lifted, there’s been some “ambiguity” on how new vaccines will be administered, Dr. Gastaldo said.
More:What the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency means for Ohio
Tests, vaccines and treatments are still available, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be free going forward. The end of the emergency order meant that some may have to pay for COVID treatment with insurance, or out-of-pocket. Insurers are also no longer required to offer free COVID tests. According to the CDC, COVID vaccines and treatments like Paxlovid will continue to be offered for free “while supplies last.”
Franklin County Public Health still has free vaccines available from the federal government, and Assistant Health Commissioner Alex Jones said the county is encouraging individuals to get vaccinated while supplies are available. Immunization clinic availability for Franklin County can be found on the FCPH website.
Officials across the state remain uncertain when the vaccine will stop being publicly funded, Jones said.
Once these free supplies run out, “it’s not necessarily clear what it’s going to be looking like for access for people who have insurance, and for those who don’t have insurance,” Dr. Gastaldo said.
With a new vaccine on the horizon, Ohio officials are working to ensure that residents have equal access to treatment, with or without insurance. ODH officials said they’re “confident” they can supply free doses of the new vaccine.
The federal Vaccines For Children program provides free doses of the vaccine to eligible children, including those who are uninsured. The CDC’s Bridge Access Program helps provide treatment for uninsured adults, and federal officials have indicated that they hope to prioritize vaccinating low-income and marginalized Americans, Dr. Gastaldo said.
@LilyLCarey
|
Sources 2/ https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/healthcare/2023/08/19/covid-19-cases-rising-in-columbus-but-fall-vaccine-access-uncertain/70587658007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]
 |
 |
 |
