Ohio Dept. of Health: COVID-19 variant found in Lorain County 1 of only 3 cases nationwide

This story has been updated to correct an error. The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed a variant strain of COVID-19 in Lorain County — one of only three such cases in the United States, state and local health officials said Thursday. ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said, "There is no evidence that this variant is causing any more severe illness, hospitalizations or deaths." Called BA.2.86, the variant was detected through wastewater sampling, Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams said. The exact person or persons who have it have not been identified, he said. "We don't know the individual" with the BA.2.86 strain, "but we know it's here," Adams said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "considers BA.2.86 a notable variant because it contains a number of mutations that make it distinct from other currently circulating lineages," according to an ODH news release. At least 23 other human cases caused by BA.2.86 have been identified. The two other cases in the U.S. are in Michigan and Virginia, with the remaining 20 cases spread between seven countries, according to the ODH. ODH and Lorain County Public Health both encouraged everyone to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, which are the best way to prevent serious illness. Stay home if you are sick, and if you have contact with someone you know or believe to be sick, wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain social distance. Other local and state resources and data can be found on LCPH's web page dedicated to coronavirus response, www.loraincountyhealth.com/coronavirus. Local response Adams said it is the first time the strain has been in Lorain County, and his agency is sticking to its message: Get vaccinated through your primary care doctor or by making a vaccination appointment with Lorain County Public Health at (440) 284-3206. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. LCPH has all vaccine types available for patients ages 6 months and older. COVID-19 vaccine cards should be brought with you, but new cards are available along with replacements if yours has been lost. Adams said his staff started working with local school districts in July to make preparations for the return to the school year as well as to get out the message that vaccines are still available and prevention still works. "We never let that guard down," he said. Adams said Lorain County has been fortunate to identify risks early because it samples and tests wastewater for COVID-19 virus and strains. Researchers are constantly adapting the vaccines, tailoring and improving them as they get more data, he said. Adams said Lorain County Public Health has vaccines ready and available, and up-to-date, expert information for those who might not be ready. LCPH can be reached by calling (440) 322-6367 anytime from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The agency will be closed Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. "If you have doubts, give us a call. It's a no-judgment phone call ... but give us a chance to talk to you," Adams said. As always, if you're sick, "stay home," he said. The federal COVID-19 public health emergency ended May 11, but the disease is far from gone as a recent outbreak in Vermilion proved. The Vermilion Police Department's station on Liberty Avenue was on lockdown from Saturday to Monday due to a COVID outbreak. Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer told City Council on Monday , the same day police Chief Chris Hartung lifted the emergency lockdown, that "no service to the public was lost." "As safety director, I thank the public for their understanding," Forthofer said in his report to Council. "I also thank the Erie County Sherrif's Department for their support." Hartung "was prepared with an emergency backup plan that could be implemented for a COVID outbreak or any other emergency. I appreciate the chief's good management that insures Vermilion residents of constant police coverage regardless of difficulty," Forthofer said. Flu season Along with continued COVID-19 response, Adams said his agency is working on public messages encouraging influenza and RSV vaccinations. Flu season also is coming, and regional health systems are getting ready to battle it. University Hospitals said flu vaccines for the 2023 season will be available starting mid-September. The Cleveland Clinic is beginning appointment-only flu vaccinations across Northeast Ohio starting Tuesday. More information can be found at www.clevelandclinic.org/flu. "Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection that leads to thousands of hospitalizations every year. It can result in severe illness and should not be taken lightly," Dr. Steven Gordon, chairman of the Department of Infectious Disease at Cleveland Clinic, said in a news release. "Annual vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of influenza and is the best way to keep ourselves and our communities healthy during respiratory virus season." Common flu symptoms include fever, dry cough, headache, sore throat, chills, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite, The Cleveland Clinic said. Young children, adults aged 65 and older, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and those with compromised immune systems are most at risk for severe complications, which can lead to death. Health experts agree that vaccination is the best way to protect against the flu virus. Adams said flu season starts earlier than most people think, and sharing air with others who are staying indoors out of the cold is a perfect conduit for diseases that spread through air droplets. Flu clinics will be announced soon, though LCPH will be focusing on the at-risk population as "flu vaccines are so widely available at primary care doctors and pharmacies, we're just gearing ours toward smaller settings ... and allowing doctors and pharmacies to do the general population," Adams said. New RSV vaccine A new vaccine for adults to combat a third common respiratory disease expected to spread this fall and winter will soon be available at LCPH, Adams said. Respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus, or RSV, "is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Not only will adults be protected by the vaccine, but a new antibody treatment for newborns through 8 months old will also be available, Adams said. Availability will be announced by his agency as soon as it knows the RSV vaccines are on their way, he said. Primary care doctors and hospitals also will have access to it, Adams said. "It's a much-needed vaccine, and it's a good thing they came out with it," he said. The Cleveland Clinic likewise will offer the RSV vaccine for adults 60 and up "soon," according to a news release, which encouraged patients to talk to their doctors about the vaccine and whether they should get it. Contact Dave O'Brien at dobrien@chroniclet.com.