Stark COVID-19 levels 'low' but rising as half of Ohio counties see high transmission

Stark County is one of just 12 counties in Ohio with "low" community transmission of COVID-19, according to the latest weekly update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Much of the region and state moved to medium and high case counts, as officials say that many cases are likely going uncounted.

"While we cannot share specifics, our hospitals have certainly seen more of an increase in inpatients in the last several months," Stark County Health Department communications specialist Chris Cugini said. "We would encourage residents to take precautions that make them feel more comfortable."

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Just over half of all Ohio counties are experiencing high levels of community transmission, at which point masking is advised for everyone indoors regardless of vaccination status.

According to the CDC, Stark County has a case rate of 135.18 per 100,000 people, 8.9 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 people and 4.8% of staffed inpatient beds are in use by COVID-19 patients.

Stark's case counts have been rising in recent months, with 1,505 cases in May and 1,136 in June, and 614 from July 1 to July 16.

The Ohio Hospital Association COVID-19 dashboard shows that the daily count of COVID-19 positive patients in region hospitals has been steadily increasing over the last month, with 188 COVID-19 positive patients in the hospital, 19 of which are in the ICU.

If the case rate moves above 200 and the new hospitalizations increases over 10, it will push Stark County into the medium transmission range, at which point individuals are advised to consider mask-wearing and testing prior to social engagements.

Unreported home tests could conceal higher levels of infection

However, officials worry about undercounts in the COVID-19 data. The advent of at-home rapid testing, while making it easier for individuals to protect themselves, has also meant many cases may be missed if individuals are not reporting their test results to the state.

"There certainly could be more cases out there but people are not reporting their results," Cugini said.

In Summit County, officials estimate that true case counts may be eight times as high as what is reported.

Individuals can report their COVID-19 test results to the Stark County Health Department by emailing selfreport@starkhealth.org. Reports must include the patient's first and last name, date of birth, address, phone number, symptom onset date, test collection date and picture of the positive test result.

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State wastewater data also shows a high level of COVID-19 genetic material in Canton's sewage. Wastewater monitoring is used to detect the presence of COVID-19 genetic material as many as three to seven days before those infections show up in case counts or hospitalizations, and can be used as an early warning of disease increases in the area.

The wastewater dashboard shows that Canton's water treatment plant is seeing a substantial increase in COVID-19 genetic material, with spikes similar to those seen in late August 2021, which preceded upticks in cases in the fall.

Stark officials are continuing to promote vaccination to protect against severe complications with COVID-19. The county health agency offers the Pfizer vaccine for those 6 months of age and older every Tuesday at the health department. Appointments can be scheduled at www.ArmorVax.com or by calling 330-451-1681.

Vaccination and booster appointments can also be found at https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

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For those who have tested positive for COVID-19, the department recommends following current CDC guidelines.

"If you tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, then you should stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home, wear a well-fitting mask if you must be around others in your home, and you should not travel," Cugini said.

Since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, Stark County has seen 85,624 COVID-19 cases, 4,343 hospitalizations and 1,729 deaths. Nearly 58% of the county has started a COVID-19 vaccination series.

Sam Zern can be reached at szern@cantonrep.com or 330-580-8322. You can also find her on Twitter at @sam_zern.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County COVID level is low but rising