TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo-Lucas County Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski urged northwest Ohioans to stay vigilant as COVID-19 cases spike locally and across the state.
Zgodzinski warned at a press conference Friday, that things will only continue to worsen if residents don't take the proper steps to stop the spread as flu season fast approaches.
While some people may not even know they have COVID-19, for others, it can be fatal, which is a real concern for health officials as spread in northwest Ohio communities is on the rise.
"This is not a scare tactic, this is just the truth and the facts," he said.
According to the Ohio Dept. of Health (ODH), Lucas County had 120 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week span on Friday, this exceeds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) threshold of high incidence, which is just 100. Two weeks ago, that data point was at 70 cases per 100,000 people.
Lucas County is currently in the Level 3 (Red) category of the state's Public Health Advisory map, and while the county is slowly approaching Level 4 (Purple), Zgodzinski made clear that we are not there yet.
So far, no Ohio county has reached that point on the advisory map.
"It is important for us right now to take it upon ourselves to do the right things so we don't get to purple," Zgodzinski said.
The health commissioner called this upward trend "concerning," again, stressing the need for the community as a whole to step up and help curtail COVID-19 spread in their neighborhoods. CDC guidance dictates best practices as keeping six feet of distance from others, wearing a mask, washing your hands and avoiding large crowds.
The latter has been a major concern among state and local health officials alike, as much of the virus' spread has been traced back to large personal gatherings. With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Big Ten football both on the horizon, Zgodzinski reminded Ohioans to take the right precautions.
"When we gather, this disease loves to jump person to person," he said.
Thanksgiving guidance is on the way, Zgodzinski said, but he warned that the holiday likely won't look the same as it has in the past.
Halloween guidelines have already been released by the health department and can be found online here.
Zgodzinski said that while trick-or-treating, people should stay within their family unit, or with close friends they know have not been exposed. He said that kids should not be reaching into candy bowls themselves. Instead, the person handing out candy, practicing good hand hygiene, should drop it into the bags. He explained that this year, he personally will put small amounts of candy on a table that kids can walk up to, with sanitization conducted between trick-or-treaters.
Face coverings should be worn by everyone involved, he said, and not just a traditional Halloween mask.
The real concern at this point lies in parties among adults. Zgodzinski reminded people to keep gatherings small and consider who they are inviting over. Although the cooler weather will begin making outdoor gatherings few and far between, being outside when possible greatly reduces the risk of spread.
While parties are likely the biggest worry for Lucas County health leaders, Zgodzinski said there is growing concern surrounding recreational sports. He reminded parents that if their kids are sick, they need to stay home; don't go to practice, don't go to games. Adding a sick individual to that team will then lead to the entire group being quarantined or more individuals contracting the virus.
Although health leaders are keeping an eye on young athletes, spread within school walls has stayed relatively low.
"I really want to stress right now, that schools are doing a really good job," Zgodzinski said.
However, as we move into the colder season, cooped up inside and in closer proximity, he explained that institutions like schools will have to take extra precautions, especially as case numbers at the state level continue to break records.
The concern that comes with increased spread is two-fold: a decrease in hospital capacity and an increase in the potential for vulnerable people to fall ill.
It is important to note, that Lucas County hospitals are not currently at risk of maxing out. However, health leaders are concerned as this year, they will be dealing with both the flu and COVID-19.
Zgodzinski encouraged Lucas County residents to get their flu shots, saying this year, it is more important than ever.
"If we can lower the amount of flu, we don't inundate hospitals," he said, as facilities will need all the resources they can to battle the flu, COVID-19 and other emergency patients.
For those taking part in Drug Take Back Day on Sat., flu shots will be provided on-site.
Testing has been a key mitigation strategy as well, with pop-up testing is becoming more frequent in Lucas County.
One tactic used by the health department to choose these locations is testing of the sewage. Wastewater testing is a fairly new strategy in the state and has been described by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine as an "early warning indicator."
Recently, for instance, high levels of the virus were found in Oregon wastewater, leading the health department to organize a pop-up testing site in the city.
On Tuesday, another pop-up site will be at the Tam-O-Shanter in Sylvania. Anyone can show up and get a free COVID-19 test from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. without ever leaving their car. Zgodzinski said it should take 24-48 hours for results.
A key turning point in the fight against the virus will be the development of a vaccine. While Zgodzinski acknowledged a timeline for an approved COVID-19 vaccine is unknown, he said his department is already laying the groundwork for a distribution plan.
He addressed those who have reservations, saying his team will make sure the vaccine is safe and something that everyone should receive. Zgodzinski called a COVID-19 vaccine "one major tool" to get Ohioans back to a sense of normal life, as we had one year ago.
