Columbus, Ohio — Since the virus’s initial appearance in the United States more than four years ago, COVID-19 has undergone significant evolution and mutation.
Everything You Should Know
The most current COVID-19 variation, known as FLiRT, is the one that has been linked to the most recent instances.
According to officials, the rise in instances is the result of more summertime get-togethers.
You and your family may stay safe by adhering to the CDC COVID protocols, which include masking, distancing, and hand washing.
COLVID-19In Ohio, the number of cases has increased by almost 27% from a few weeks earlier to 19 cases.
Physicians like Cleveland Clinic’s Joseph Khabbaza, however, stated that communities shouldn’t be overly alarmed because the base number was already quite low. The Ohio Department of Health now estimates that there are slightly more than 3.7 million people in the state.
Ohioans are accustomed to this summertime increase. The previous few years have seen a trend toward summer rises, but according to Khabazza, COVID doesn’t have a peak season like the flu and cold do. Rather, waves of cases occur at different times of the year. A typical day for the critical care physician at Cleveland Clinic consists of seeing one or two patients. Even though the majority of symptoms are not severe, COVID is nonetheless a challenging infection to manage.
According to Khabazza, “we’re not seeing people getting very sick in the outpatient setting.””We want a low level of heavy disease, and these spikes and many of the more recent variants haven’t been causing that, but it’s not a fully seasonal virus yet where we can predict what months are more likely to have higher cases than others, because that can vary as different variants take hold.”
At Case Western Reserve University, Mark Cameron does research on infectious diseases. He explains the jump by blaming it on the rise in summertime travel and large-scale events. The most plausible reason for the spread is that a new strain or infection travels with passengers from other nations on planes, and those passengers attend festivals and concerts and other mass gatherings. Although these summer statistics aren’t particularly alarming, Cameron stated that they might hint at potential trends for the rest of the year.
“Returning to school and participating in fall activities can cause cases to increase again, and by late September or early October, that’s usually when the cold and flu season starts,” said Cameron. “These summer variations do germinate, grow, and alter for our winter flu and cold season.”
The CDC offers the following advice on how to be safe amid this case wave:
Get your most recent COVID booster shot; it will protect you against any new viral mutations and variations.
Make sure to practice proper hand and surface hygiene, which includes using a disinfectant to wipe down countertops and tables and washing your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Because COVID variations can frequently be mistaken for the flu or a cold, get tested.
When you go out or attend events, wear a mask.
To arrange for your booster shot, you can always visit your neighborhood drugstore or get in touch with your healthcare practitioner.