Health officials continue to caution public in 'post-pandemic' world

Dec. 30—Though the novel coronavirus, as an "emergency," has been widely categorized as "being over," health care officials continue to urge caution in the "post-pandemic world," especially during the winter and spring seasons.

Additionally, experts point to family, public and workplace gatherings as, unfortunately, primary points that can bring a "slew of illnesses," particularly for immune-vulnerable residents.

And, according to Lake County General Health District Chief Epidemiologist Muhammad Jafar, while currently circulating variants do not pose an "increased public health risk," the virus that causes the coronavirus is constantly changing over time.

"We are seeing an increased respiratory illness burden with the triple threat of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza," he added. "However, effective vaccines are available for all three."

The health district noted that it is offering annual flu immunizations to the public and COVID-19 immunizations for individuals who are underinsured and for those without insurance.

"We are referring individuals with insurance to their primary care physician and/or any local pharmacy, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Sam's Club, and Costco for the COVID-19 vaccine," said Health District Director of Nursing Carol Straniero. "Currently, the health district carries the RSV vaccine for infants only.

"Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults 60 years of age and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine, they are encouraging health care providers and their patients to have a conversation to determine if RSV vaccination will be beneficial," she added. "This is intended to allow providers and patients flexibility based on what is best for each individual patient."

According to 2023 data detailed at www.lcghd.org, Lake County continues to see low COVID-19 cases, with a reported two-week incidence rate of 15.2 per 100,000 (population), as compared to 226.8 cases in the same measure last year.

Additionally, case counts show two reported "breakouts" (cumulative data) in June 2023 entered in the Ohio Disease Reporting System Data Extract, totaling 2,665, as compared to 17,619 in 2022, and 29,302 in 2021.

Moreover, according to the Ohio Department of Health, vaccinations received beyond the primary series — including the third primary dose for individuals with immunocompromised conditions or any booster doses for either healthy or immunocompromised individuals — have continued to drop significantly.

However, vaccinations administered to Lake County residents, with at least one dose, total 160,671 (69.81 percent) in 2023, with primary series completion at 152,889 (66.43 percent) and updated bivalent boosters equaling 42,956.

Hospitalizations have also dropped with 2023 seeing 72 — with 11 intensive care unit admissions — compared to 423 and 46 (ICU) last year.

To date, 926 deaths have been reported among COVID-19 cases who were Lake County residents, with 75 causes of death not directly attributed to the virus or yet to be determined, officials noted, adding numbers have been determined to meet the vital statistics criteria outlined in the Ohio Infectious Disease Control Manual.

Individuals who do not currently meet the criteria, commonly referred to as "deaths with COVID-19," are excluded from reported statistics.

For more information, visit www.lcghd.org/boardofhealthminutes/healthdata/.

In efforts to combat COVID-19, in addition to seasonal, associated maladies and multiple variants, UH Virtual Care is offering convenient and simple ways to connect with providers without having to go into a doctor's office.

According to the system, options include video visits and e-visits:

—On-Demand Virtual Care: If care is required for a minor illness, such as a cold or stomach virus, video visits can take place in less than 30 minutes for adults and children aged 1 year and older every day between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

—E-Visit: Options for sinus infection and pinkeye symptoms, to name a few, are available for patients 2 years old and older

Additionally, UH Urgent Care offers virtual and walk-in care throughout the holiday season with no appointment needed.

For non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses, including colds and flu, to stitches and broken bones, UHUC provides shorter wait times, lower costs, and more personalized care.

Full digital X-ray capabilities are also available, officials noted.

UH Urgent Care locations are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day hours run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Virtual or urgent care is not meant to replace in-person visits with primary care providers, system officials added, noting emergency room patients are seen based on the severity of their illness and costs are higher compared to virtual and urgent care options.

For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Health's Interactive Coronavirus Dashboards.