TOLEDO, Ohio — The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department was notified by the Ohio Health Department that two recent cases in our jurisdiction have been associated with a SARS-COV-2 variant of concern (VOC), specifically the B.1.429 variant first detected in California.
According to the CDC, the B.1.429 VOC has shown evidence of approximately 20% increased transmissibility and a potential decrease in the effectiveness of vaccine or naturally acquired immunity.
The B.1.429 VOC is the second known VOC the Ohio Department of Health has identified in Lucas County through routine passive surveillance of collected laboratory samples from COVID-19 infected individuals.
Recently, the Health Department reported on the identification of five cases of the United Kingdom VOC B.1.1.7. Each of these variants is approaching an estimated 10% of national cases based on CDC surveillance conducted in February 2021.
Lucas County is also currently seeing a rise in cases starting the week of March 22. On each day from Tuesday through Saturday, the daily case counts were nearly double the steady 2-week average of 45 cases per day the county has seen over the previous month.
At this time, ODH has not recommended any additional control measures. The Health Department is asking everyone who lives, learns, works, or plays in our community to continue to be vigilant with current mitigation strategies including:
- Maintaining 6 ft social distancing from individuals outside your household;
- Proper use of a facial covering when in public or around individuals outside your household;
- Staying home when not feeling well;
- Avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces as much as possible;
- Getting a COVID-19 vaccine when available to you;
Vaccination is the best way to protect you and your family from infection and severe illness. All three vaccines currently available in Lucas County have demonstrated evidence of protection against variants including B.1.1.7 and B.1.429. Remember that the best vaccine is the one available to you.
All Ohioans aged 16 and older are now eligible to receive COVID-19 Vaccination. Eligible individuals can visit the Health Department’s website to schedule an appointment www.lucascountyhealth.com/covidvaccine.