According to Ohio’s COVID-19 data, the caseload in the state is declining dramatically from what appears to be the Omicron variant’s peak.
As of January 17, the seven-day average number of new cases peaked at 28,054. As of Monday, one week later, that number was 17,438, or a drop of about 10,500 average cases over the past seven days.
On January 17, the state also confirmed 19,538 new COVID-19 cases. As of Monday, the number of new cases was reportedly 9,932. That represents a drop of almost 10,000 daily cases in the past week.
Despite the enormous number of new cases over the past month and a half, the death rate from the virus remains well below pandemic highs.
According to the latest data, the seven-day death average from COVID-19 in the state rests at 152. Though it has not been nearly as high since about a year ago (the seven-day death average peaked at 670 on February 14, 2021) 152 average weekly deaths represents the second-highest seven-day death rate after the February 2021 peak.
The data shows that on March 10, 2021, Ohio was averaging 130 deaths per week from the virus, the third-highest seven-day average since the pandemic hit.
Still, compared to the amount of cases, which have reached all-time pandemic highs during the Omicron wave, the seven-day daily death average remains comparatively low.
As The Ohio Star reported last week, by comparison, about 560 Ohioans – or 80 per day – die each week of heart disease, according to 2019 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Meanwhile, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) remains mum.
The Star reached out to ODH on Monday to see if it would confirm whether the drastic decline in average weekly cases means that the Omicron variant has peaked.
As with all of The Star’s inquiries throughout the pandemic, ODH did not comment.
Despite the Ohio data and the nationwide data which shows similar trends, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the public face of the pandemic, does not think that Omicron has peaked. He said over the weekend that he is “confident” the variant will peak in February.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
