Coronavirus in Ohio Thursday update: 1,178 new cases, 21 additional deaths reported
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest COVID-19 case numbers. Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted are also scheduled to give a press conference at that time on the state’s response to COVID-19, the return to school, and high school athletics for this fall.
As of Thursday, August 13, a total of 105,426(+1,178) cases were reported in Ohio since the pandemic began, leading to 3,755(+21) deaths and 12,023(+122) hospitalizations. There are a 82,310 presumed recovered cases in the state.
The Department of Health adds the data when it is informed of a case or death. The information is backdated to the actual date the person started exhibiting symptoms or the date the person died.
Gov. DeWine said Ohio State’s has been routinely testing athletes for COVID-19 as part of their protocol. OSU Wexner Medical Center’s Dr. Curt Daniels joined the governor to discuss myocarditis and what he has seen in those athletes.
Dr. Daniels says most of the data on myocarditis we have is from hospitalized patients and around 20% of those COVID-19 patients’ hearts are impacted due to the virus. He they have found myocarditis in athletes. He says they’ve found it in 10-13% of athletes that test positive for COVID-19 that they evaluated.
“We’re still not sure the overall impact of what that means,” said Dr. Daniels.
Dr. Daniels says we know there is a risk with athletes having myocarditis but it’s also anyone who is exercising or participating in a high level of activity.
DeWine revealed the latest Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. There are three new red counties. Allen and Medina Counties are no longer red. Nine counties have dropped from orange to yellow.
The governor announced Thursday he will officially be putting in place the mask order for students in schools that was announced weeks ago.
Today, the Minority Health Strike Force has filed their final report. Governor DeWine says “We have to do better, we can do better.”
Governor DeWine says to truly make change we need to work on the social determinants of health. The Minority Health Strike Force’s report gives several recommendations on ways to help.