LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — 500 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lucas County in the last two weeks, according to the state of Ohio.
And local healthcare facilities are also seeing the spike. ProMedica's Vice President of Medial Affairs Dr. Brian Kaminski said cases are surging. Despite the increased number of cases, fewer people tend to report them, meaning the number may look lower than it actually it.
"A lot of people who are getting COVID are not getting as sick, and COVID is not as in the headlights as it was, so it's very common to think you just have a seasonal cold," said Kaminski. "And often, it is COVID. Fortunately, nowadays it's just mild symptoms and most people recover spontaneously.".
He said because fewer people are being tested and a lot of at-home test are being taken, there is no way to track every case. So even though the COVID cases reported are rising, they could also be higher than we know.
Experts want to warn the public to take precautions when it comes to staying healthy.
If you have any symptoms or signs of having a virus, it's less important to define if you have COVID or any other respiratory virus. Instead, he said just knowing you're sick means you should stay home at least 24 hours, and wear a mask and be vigilant of your hygiene the following five days.
Kaminski said the newest strain of COVID is known as KP.3, and the vaccines that target this strain will be released soon.
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