COVID cases on the rise across northern Ohio, including Wayne, Ashland counties

It's a bit complicated sorting out just where we are in northern Ohio when it comes to the coronavirus.

Hospitalizations and the number of reported cases are trending up, but not at an alarming rate just yet. 

However, health officials say that doesn't mean we are in the clear.

The virus is still silently among us and appears to be spreading and heading toward what one doctor predicts will be a "big spike" in cases and hospitalizations.

Part of the problem in gauging just where we are with the disease centers around one of the solutions for combating and detecting its spread.

Pandemic is still here:COVID cases surge in Wayne County and across US, College of Wooster tightens protocols

The wide, free distribution of home tests means folks with mild symptoms, thanks to vaccinations, are staying off the radar and riding out the illness at home. They are simply not notifying health officials of positive results.

But there are still cases being reported through official channels and those are mounting by the day.

These official indicators show a rise in cases in many Ohio counties, including Wayne and Ashland counties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the transmission rate among Ohio's northern counties to be elevated, with case numbers in Lorain and Ashtabula counties rising at a faster and more dangerous pace than other counties.

Kent State University on Monday reinstituted a tougher mask mandate on its Ashtabula campus because of the increase in cases in that county.

The College of Wooster did the same in early May as final exam week began. 

Marlene Martin, a spokesperson for Summit County Public Health, said they are seeing a general rise in cases with some clusters now showing up in nursing homes and also in school settings.

Virus tracked through sewage

This notion that cases are rising is borne out in the region's sewer plants of all places.

County and state officials have been taking samples of waste flowing through the scores of sewer plants throughout Ohio to test for traces of the virus during the pandemic.

Raw sewage indicates virus spread:What's the scoop on COVID-19 and poop? Here's what data from Akron-area treatment plants show

While the samples are nowhere near the peak back in late December and January, the results in most instances across the state show a rise of the virus in the last month or so.

Martin said this is not a time to let your guard down.

The virus, she said, is still out there and can be potentially dangerous, particularly for those who are not vaccinated or have underlying health concerns.

Health officials are particularly concerned with what is considered by the CDC as widespread cases across the region with seasonal large gatherings like graduation parties and weddings taking place.

There's no mask mandate, but Martin said it would be wise to wear a mask — whether you are vaccinated or not — in any indoor setting.

"There is a spike," she said. "We are seeing an increase in cases."

Health officials are encouraging those who are not vaccinated or those who are due for a booster to get shots now.

COVID vaccinations still available 

Those in Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties can still obtain vaccines from local health departments and pharmacies, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Vaccines are the best way to combat the virus that has infected 83,466,691 and killed 1,002,542 in the U.S., according to data from John Hopkins University. 

"We know that you are less likely to have a severe case of COVID if you are vaccinated," Wayne County Health Commissioner Nicholas Cascarelli told The Daily Record. 

Despite the urging of local health officials, vaccination rates remain low in the Wooster and Ashland areas. Rates hover at around 45% of the population having received both shots, according to the CDC.

Holmes County is at 18% of the population getting both jabs.

Cases are up in Wayne County

Cases continue to rise in Wayne County for the sixth week in a row while cases rise and fall in Ashland County. 

Between April 17 and May 21, the Wayne County Health Department reported 450 new cases. That's the largest increase since the holiday wave between October and January. 

In that time, Wayne County reported seven hospitalizations with no deaths. 

Ashland saw 183 new cases in that same time with hospitalizations topping out at nine with no deaths, according to the state health department.

Holmes County cases remained low with no hospitalizations or deaths in April or May. 

New wave of COVID cases in Ohio

Dumford fears it is just going to get worse as he predicts hospitalizations in Greater Akron and statewide will rise amid what is shaping up to be a "big spike" of infections.

He predicts it won't get as bad as it was in January, but the Omicron variant that is sickening folks in the region now is pretty resilient against any antibodies from vaccinations or previous infections.

Dumford said those who are vaccinated seem to be faring better and avoiding trips to the doctor or the hospital.

His best advice, and he admits it is something a weary northern Ohio doesn't want to hear, is to dust off your masks and start wearing them once again in public spaces and at small and large gatherings.

"This is definitely going to affect all of us," he said.

Staff writer Betty Lin-Fisher contributed to this report.