COVID-19 Alert - April 23,2020

By the Numbers:

• 102,325 individuals tested

• 14,694 total cases, 2,370 of which are health care workers

• 656 deaths

• 2,960 hospitalizations, 900 of which are in the intensive care unit

• 87 counties with at least one case

• Ages range from less than one year old to 106 years of age, with a median age of 51

• State of Ohio COVID-19 dashboard:
  https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/dashboard 

Clarification on Pursuing “Elective” Surgeries:

• Governor Mike DeWine provided clarification of yesterday’s order regarding elective surgeries. Stating that doctors and healthcare providers in Ohio should reach out to patients who had a case postponed to re-assess the need for the surgery or procedure based on the same criteria, keeping in mind the patients overall health condition, quality of life, and risk of proceeding with the procedure. He stated that cases could move forward if postponing the procedure would cause a: 

• Threat to the patient’s life;

• Threat of permanent extremity/organ dysfunction;

• Risk of worsening of disease or condition; or,

• Risk of rapidly worsening to severe symptoms.

• The Governor indicated that while he would love to get back to a position to instantly turn back on, we are not there yet. Although hospital capacity is less of an issue since Ohioans flattened the curve, personal protective equipment remains a concern. 

Over 50,000 Available Jobs:

• Lt. Governor Jon Husted noted that as of today, there are over 50,000 jobs from 866 companies posted on the state’s website dedicated to matching essential business with Ohioans seeking employment.  Essential businesses and job seekers can find more information at: https://jobsearch.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/jobsearch/.

Ohio Unemployment Statistics:

• Ohio tallied 109,369 initial unemployment claims for the week ending Saturday, April 18, bringing the five-week total of claims to 964,566, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Ohio House of Representatives “Work from Home” Policy Update:

• Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder issued an updated "Work for Home" protocol for the House which calls for a staggered work schedule beginning Monday, May 4, with only one half of the members' staff physically being in the Riffe Center in Columbus at one time. Those not in the office will continue working from home. Householder also noted that information regarding committee hearings will be forthcoming. 

Re-Opening Plan to be Outlined Next Monday:

• Governor DeWine plans to announce full details of the state’s re-opening plan on Monday, April 27. 

Conversation with OSU Public Health Dr. Mark Weir:

• The Governor reiterated that this pandemic is a marathon and not a sprint. He stated that as we move forward, he owes it to Ohioans to do so in a thoughtful, methodical way.

• Accordingly, the Governor invited Dr. Mark Weir, of Ohio State’s College of Public Health, to explain the underlying science behind social distancing, masks, and other measures that we will use going forward as a result of COVID-19.   

• Dr. Weir outlined the ways we can interrupt the spread of the virus including multiple parties working together by blocking the movement of the virus in multiple locations:

  • Masks + Social Distancing: If you are wearing a mask, you are protecting those around you, and you are providing yourself an additional layer of protection as well. The type of material will give different ranges of risk protection. When you cough or sneeze, droplets spread through the air. The light droplets will go farther, and the heavier ones will fall from the air. With coronavirus, you are spreading various-sized particles that will travel 6-10 feet based on environmental circumstances. Therefore, even if you are wearing a mask, you still want to keep that distance between people. That's why we need multiple barriers - the social distancing is another barrier we can use in addition to masks.

  • Disinfecting surfaces: The virus can stay viable in the air for up to 3 hours, and on some surfaces, it can live for up to 72 hours, if you don't do anything to affect the virus. (It lives the longest on steel and plastic). If you use certain disinfectants, it will remove 99.9% of the viruses. Dr. Weir recommended Ohioans use CDC recommended products, which can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/disinfecting-your-home.html.

  • Food: Freezing and cooking food items will negatively affect the virus.

  • Air conditioning + heating: Filters do a very good job: the thicker the filter, the more removal of viruses. If you own a building, increasing the size and number of filters in your HVAC or investing in air treatment technology, you could protect hundreds of more people.

• The 3 simple solutions to remember:  1) Keep your distance; 2) Wash your hands; and, 3) Wear a mask.