FCPH: Community COVID spread ‘extremely high’

Community spread of COVID-19 is currently at an extremely high level, with 328 new COVID cases and 25 new hospitalizations reported within the last two-week period.

Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) advises that residents should assume they have been exposed to COVID-19 during this current surge. FCPH recommends the following to help to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

- Wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth wherever possible to help to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

- Get the COVID vaccine as well as a booster.

- Continue to practice social distancing by keeping six feet away from others.

- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

If you are immunocompromised or have an immunocompromised individual in your household, please consider taking additional precautions by limiting unnecessary activities until community transmission decreases.

Updated Guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated their guidance on COVID-19 isolation and quarantine based on science and what we currently know about how the virus is spread and the effectiveness of the vaccine and booster.

Fayette County Public Health is currently in the process of revising isolation and quarantine notification protocols for both community and school exposures. More information will be available in the coming days.

COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance

If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)

- Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

* Stay home for five days.

* If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after five days, you can leave your house.

*Continue to wear a mask around others for five additional days.

* If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.

If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)

If you:

- Have been boosted, OR

- Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine within the last six months, OR

- Completed the primary series of J&J vaccine within the last two months

* Wear a mask around others for 10 days.

*Test on day 5, if possible.

* If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.

If you:

- Completed the primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine over 6 months ago and are not boosted, OR

- Completed the primary series of J&J over 2 months ago and are not boosted, OR

- Are unvaccinated

* Stay home for five days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

* If you can’t quarantine you must wear a mask for 10 days.

* Test on day 5 if possible.

* If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.

Learn more below and see the updated CDC guidance located at bit.ly/cdcfive.

Vaccination Clinics

Appointments are required for all FCPH vaccination clinics. Please bring your COVID Vaccination Record if you have already received at least one dose and your health insurance card if you are getting a flu shot. Masks are required.

FCPH OFFICE -

All three COVID-19 vaccines, flu and high-dose flu will be available on the following dates from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Schedule online at faycohd.org/events or by phone - 740-335-5910.

- Tuesday, Jan. 11

The following are clinics for specific vaccines. These are by appointment only, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scheduling is by phone only - 740-335-5910.

- Moderna - Jan. 3, 10, 24, 31

- Pfizer/Comirnaty - Jan. 7, 21, 28

- Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) - Jan. 5, 19, 26

FAYETTE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS - All three COVID-19 vaccines, flu and high-dose flu will be available. The health department office will be closed on these dates so that staff can work offsite at the clinic. Schedule online at faycohd.org/events or by phone - 740-335-5910.

- Tuesday, Jan. 4, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

- Tuesday, Jan. 18, 3 - 7 p.m.

- Tuesday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

For more information on vaccination clinic dates, visit faycohd.org/events or call 740-335-5910.

Who is Eligible:

- Flu Vaccine, 6 months and older

- High-dose Flu Vaccine, 65 years and older

- Pfizer/Comirnaty, 5 years and older

- Moderna, 18 years and older

- Johnson & Johnson, 18 years and older

Booster Eligibility:

- Pfizer/Comirnaty, 16 years and older, 6 months after second dose

- Moderna, 18 years and older, 6 months after second dose

- Johnson & Johnson, 18 years and older, 2 months after initial dose

Cost:

- COVID-19 - no cost

- Flu - Covered by insurance or $25 self-pay

- High-dose flu - Covered by insurance or $65 self-pay

FCPH accepts these insurance providers: Aetna, Aetna Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Anthem BCBS Medicare, Buckeye, Caresource, Cigna (Allied Health), Humana, Medicaid of Ohio, Medical Mutual, Medicare B(for Flu and Pneumonia Only), Medigold, Molina, Ohio PPO Connect, Paramount, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Community Plan.

For more information visit faycohd.org or coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Hospital leaders encourage Ohio schools to consider mask requirement

New All-Time Record for COVID-19 Inpatient Hospitalizations in Ohio Today; 1 in 3 ICU Hospitalizations are COVID-19

Members from the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Children’s Hospital Association shared a letter Thursday with the Governor’s administration asking for distribution to all Ohio school superintendents, administrators and school board members encouraging a masking policy to help limit community spread of COVID-19. The letter comes from Ohio’s COVID-19 Zone Leads: Robert Wyllie, MD, Cleveland Clinic; Andy Thomas, MD, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Richard Lofgren, MD, UC Health as well as Ohio Children’s Hospitals’ CEOs.

About OCHA

The six members of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association – Akron Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, UH/Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s and ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children’s Hospital – work together to save, protect and enhance the lives of all Ohio children by providing the highest quality of care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at www.ohiochildrenshospitals.org.

About OHA

Established in 1915, OHA represents 245 hospitals and 15 health systems throughout Ohio that employ 251,000 Ohioans and contribute $93.5 billion to Ohio’s economy along with $7.9 billion in net community benefit. OHA is the nation’s first state hospital association and is recognized nationally for patient safety and health care quality initiatives and environmental sustainability programs. Guided by a mission to collaborate with member hospitals and health systems to ensure a healthy Ohio, the work of OHA centers on three strategic initiatives: advocacy, economic sustainability, and patient safety and quality. OHA website: www.ohiohospitals.org.

Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard Highlights - Dec. 29

https://ohiohospitals.org/covid19data

- 5,356 inpatient COVID-19 hospitalizations (new peak for Ohio). Ohio’s most recent low was 2,172 on Nov. 6. This breaks the previous record for hospitalized patients of 5,308 on Dec 15, 2020.

- Ohio hospitals are at 82% total inpatient bed capacity (21% are COVID-19 – the highest percentage reported so far.)

- Ohio hospitals are at 81.5% ICU capacity (26.4% of those ICU patients are COVID-19. Peaked at 27.1% on Dec. 15).