New BA.5 variant now almost half, if not more, of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio – By Titus Wu (The Columbus Dispatch) / July 18, 2022
Nearly half of all new reported COVID-19 cases in Ohio in recent weeks came from the BA.5 variant, according to state health department data.
As the nation experiences an increase in COVID-19 infections, Ohio is beginning to feel the effects of the new BA.5 variant, arguably the most contagious thus far.
People should be watching and taking more precautions, medical leaders said.
“We are in a much different place than we were a year ago,” said Dr. Joseph Gastaldo, an infectious disease expert at OhioHealth. “Our vaccines are still providing a great layer of protection in keeping them out of the hospital and preventing them from dying.”
