WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to the Ohio Department of Health, the COVID-19 cases in the state has surpassed 8,000 last week, raising concerns about the spread of the virus.
'We clearly have been seeing a modest rise,' said state Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.
The department reported 21 deaths and 216 hospitalizations in Ohio related to COVID reported last week, compared to three-week average of 17 deaths and 215 hospitalizations.
'These numbers are a stark reminder that if you spread the virus to a family member or friend who's in a high-risk category, such as someone over 65 or those who have impaired immunity, a COVID -19 infection could be a very serious threat to their health,' Vanderhoff said.
'The good news is that we have a very safe and very effective vaccine to prevent this illness and lessen its impact,' Vanderhoff added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 data tracker, the test positivity rate in the U.S. for the week ending August 10 was 18.1 percent, the highest recorded in the country since January 2022.
'KP.3.1.1, of the Omicron family, is now the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the United States, having overtaken its parent linage KP.3 and previous KP.2 variants,' the CDC said.
The new variant is accountable for 31 to 43 percent of COVID-19 clinical specimens for the two-week period ending August 17, according to the CDC data.
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