Despite Omicron detection, Delta accounts for most cases in Ohio

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – Two cases of the omicron variant have been detected in Buckeye State.

The Ohio Department of Health made the announcement on Saturday afternoon.

However, although omicron remains a new variant of COVID-19, health officials remain concerned about the spread of the delta variant.

The two omicron cases were revealed after genomic sequencing was performed by the Ohio State University lab.

Of the 1,000 PCR tests that were sequenced by the lab, two were omicron, with the remaining 998 being delta COVID cases.

The ODH says these two omicron cases were spotted in central Ohio last Tuesday.

It was not until the sequencing was completed that the variant could be detected.

A big concern for health executives right now is the possible lack of tests they can start to see because the omicron variant can look like a cold or have flu-like features.

Local health officials are now encouraging people to get the flu shot, COVID vaccines, and their COVID booster shots when they are eligible to get them.

“If you have any symptoms at all, it’s really wise to get tested,” said Debbie Fisher, information manager with the Lawrence County Health Department. “We can assume it’s a cold, we can assume it’s the flu, or we can assume it’s COVID, and getting tested is the only way to find out you have COVID.”

Figures from the ODH dashboard show that since January 2021, more than 44,000 people have been hospitalized in Ohio due to COVID.

Some 95.5% of these patients were not vaccinated.

Of those 44,000, 12,780 were unvaccinated people who died of COVID-related complications, while 610 fully-vaccinated people died from COVID-related complications during the same period.

The Lawrence County Department of Health continues to host immunization clinics on a weekly basis.

You can find a link to when these occur in clicking here.

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