Ohio鈥檚 COVID-19 cases are sharply climbing, and with the increased spread of the more contagious delta variant in the state, the state鈥檚 top doctor said Ohioans have two choices at this point in the pandemic.
鈥淓ither you get vaccinated, or you are going to get COVID-19,鈥� Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), said in a press briefing Wednesday.
Ohio鈥檚 case rate per 100,000 residents jumped from a low of 17.6 on July 7 to 37.8 this week, Vanderhoff said. On Wednesday, Ohio reported 785 cases. On Tuesday, the state reported 744 new cases, its highest daily case count since May.
Hospitalizations also went from 200 on July 9 to 348 July 20, according to ODH data, a 74% increase.
Health officials anticipated another spike in cases during the summer due to the delta variant, which has caused surging cases and hospitalizations in other states like Missouri and Texas and worldwide, Vanderhoff said.
The delta variant accounted for 36% of Ohio鈥檚 COVID-19 samples sequenced in the week ending July 3, and is expected to be even more present in more recent sample sets, Vanderhoff said.
Delta is becoming the predominant variant in the state, he added.
Dr. Amy Edwards, medical director of pediatric infection control at UH Rainbow Babies & Children鈥檚 Hospital in Cleveland, said Wednesday vaccination rates must increase for Ohio to stay on top of the spike.
鈥淚f you look even in states and countries where the vaccination rate is in the 70 and plus percent, this variant is so contagious that it鈥檚 finding all those little pockets of tiny unvaccinated groups and it鈥檚 making them sick. We have much bigger pockets than some of those other places,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt about it: now that the delta variant is here, you will get sick from COVID.鈥�
All three COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized appear to protect well against the variant, she added.
Health officials are particularly concerned about rising cases and hospitalization rates for younger age groups.
From May to June, 20% of cases were reported in people aged 20 and younger, Vanderhoff said. From October to December, just 12% of Ohio鈥檚 cases were in that age group.
Edwards said there is a misconception that COVID-19 does not affect children as much because older adults, on average, tend to have worse outcomes. But many children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and even died, she said.
鈥淚f you look at the numbers, like the hospitalization rates, the school absenteeism from being sick with COVID and even the mortality from COVID in children, it鈥檚 about as bad as our worse flu season,鈥� Edwards said. 鈥淪o if you think about our worst pediatric flu seasons that make the news鈥� that鈥檚 basically what COVID is. But it doesn鈥檛 stop when flu season stops. It鈥檚 been going all year.鈥�
There are other risks for children as well, Edwards said, such as MIS-C, a rare inflammatory illness reported in some children and teens after developing COVID-19.
Just like other viruses, the coronavirus mutates and changes over time, becoming more contagious and potentially deadlier. The delta variant is 60% more contagious than the alpha variant, also known as B.1.1.7, and may cause more severe illness, Vanderhoff said.
Because of that, health officials are strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated before worse variants begin to circulate.
鈥淚 feel, truthfully, we are one variant away from this being worse for kids,鈥� said Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, chief of staff at Cincinnati Children鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淚s that what we鈥檙e going to do? We鈥檙e going to wait until it is worse for kids, and then we might take it seriously and get vaccinated?鈥�
All three vaccines are safe and highly effective in children, Manning-Courtney and Edwards said. So far, side effects from the vaccine, such as fatigue and arm soreness, seem to be milder for children than adults, Manning-Courtney said.
Edwards added while it may appear that the vaccines were developed quickly, the mRNA technology used in the shots from Pfizer and Moderna has been in development and heavily studied for years.
Vanderhoff emphasized that no corners were cut for any of the vaccines.
"Instead of months-long waiting periods between phases when paperwork could be prepared, the process moved. All the normal safety steps were taken in developing these vaccines," he said.
State health officials are putting together guidance for K-12 schools about masking, social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures ahead of the new academic year. But health organizations have differing thoughts about universal masking in schools.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently recommended all students wear masks, regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated. Edwards, who is an AAP fellow, said she agrees with that guidance.
Vanderhoff said state health officials will evaluate all of the current guidance and make a recommendation to Ohio schools, but it will be up to individual school districts to make the final decision about safety measures to implement.
"We're actively looking very thoughtfully at recent guidance that came from the American Academy of Pediatrics just 48 hours ago, input from various stakeholders and guidance from the CDC," he said.
Columbus schools announced they will start school without a mask mandate in place, but that could change based on guidance from Columbus Public Health.
In Northeast Ohio, some school districts have already made decisions about mask requirements for the fall 2021 semester. The for at least the first five weeks of the school year regardless of vaccination status, while .
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