COVID-19 Update, 2020-10-20

The following map shows cumulative COVID-19 infections by county. Communities shaded in darker gray have higher cases per 100,000 population than counties with lighter shading. The light red circles depict total infections. 

For the most part, infection rates tend to be higher in and around Ohio's urban centers, with Franklin County presenting the highest rate and the highest number of total cases.

On a more positive note, the next graph shows the percentage of identified cases resulting in death for Ohio's three largest metropolitan counties, by month. The data show a remarkable reduction in the ratio of deaths to cases, an important accomplishment for Ohio's healthcare system.

Many Ohioans continue to be concerned about the ongoing COVID-19 rate of infection. Most of us are aware that cases are increasing as we move into colder weather. The following charts show how Ohio's moving seven day average of new infections compares with contiguous states. 

Unsurprisingly, the trend is up throughout the region. Kentucky and Indiana are experiencing more pronounced increases than Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

 COVID-19 Update, October 5, 2020

The following charts show COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths per 100,000 population by Ohio region through September 24. Cases tend to rise and fall and then rise again. It is interesting to note that infection rates were higher in Ohio's second wave while hospitalization and death rates peaked in the spring. 

Infection rates for the period were highest in Central Ohio, hospitalization rates were highest in the Northwest and deaths were highest in the North East. 

South East Ohio recorded the lowest rate of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Paradoxically, this region also has the highest percentage of residents with underlying conditions. 

Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Offers Virtual Population Health Conference

 

Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions Leadership Success Series Now Offered Virtually

Ohio University is now offering the Leadership Success Series virtually! Earn 5.5 continuing education hours per class while attending from your remote location! Registration is now open at https://buff.ly/2wlfjtZ . Register now!

Leadership Conference to be offered virtually!

Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) will be offering the Professional Leadership Series virtually on September 23, 2020. Share the Vision: Engage, Inspire, Empower is for new and emerging leaders as well as those in middle management roles. The cost is $150 per person, and 5.1 nursing contact hours will be offered. Register now at commerce.cashnet.com/chspDublinCE.

July 16, 2020

As of July 16, 2020 Ohio has recorded 70,601 cases, 9,324 hospitalizations and 3,103 deaths. The following map depicts deaths per 100,000 population and shows that Mahoning (100.49) has the highest death rate among urban areas followed by Lucas (69.26).  Monroe (116.10) and Pickaway (75.41) recorded the highest rates for rural counties. Overall, COVID-19 fatalities continue to trend downward in all regions of the state. 

July 13, 2020

As of Monday, July 13, 2020, Ohio has recorded 66,853 Coronavirus cases, 8,915 hospitalizations and 3,064 deaths. Infections are increasing in a number of Ohio Counties. Hospitalizations and deaths appear to be lagging behind the increase in infections. The following map displays infections per 100,000 population by County. The graphs present for each county by region the change in infection counts over-time since the beginning of the pandemic. The next two Coronavirus blog installments will focus on hospitalization counts and deaths.

Free webinar on data analytics!

Join us on Wednesday, July 22nd as Sebastian Diaz presents The Emerging Role of Data in Healthcare. Registration is free! Register now at https://ohio.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cN0UJI0fewkvldz

Suicide in Ohio Monographs Released

The study, “Suicide in Ohio: Facts, Figures and the Future,” was released Monday from Ohio University and the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, where Executive in Residence Orman Hall oversaw the analysis. Officials with the Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition, the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation were involved in developing the report.

A new examination of suicide in Ohio in the past decade finds that 37 of the 88 counties now surpass the national rate, and the coronavirus pandemic likely is triggering a “staggering” increase in such deaths. Click here to view the executive summary and monographs.

June 25, 2020

The following graphs present daily COVID-19 infections and deaths for the state of Ohio between January 1 and June 25, 2020. The blue line represents actual cases. The bold red line is the same data with smoothing applied to reduce the “noise” associated with fluctuating data. The smoothed trend shows the direction of the data and the gray area surrounding the red line is a confidence band that represents how much we can trust the smoothed trend. Analysis of state level infections suggest Ohio has experienced a modest decline in infections since spring peak. The data also suggests a more significant decrease in the number of deaths since peak transmission.

 Analysis of infections and deaths by region of state shows infections continue to increase in several regions while deaths have broadly fallen across all regions. It is important to note that there tends to be a lag between increasing infections and deaths so early signs of resurgent infections may suggest increased deaths in those areas experiencing elevated infections.

June 22, 2020

As of June 22 there have been 45,537 Coronavirus cases, 7,292 related hospitalizations and 2,704 deaths. Ohio has recorded an additional 131 deaths since this time last week for a 5.1% increase in deaths. Twenty-seven Ohio counties are yet to record a deaths, 44 counties recorded no increase in deaths and only 17 counties reported increases, with Hardin County recording the highest percentage increase (150%).

June 18, 2020

As of June 18, 2020 there have been a total of 43,122 cases, 2,633 deaths and 7,104 hospitalizations. We noted on Monday a 7 percent increase in both infections and deaths from the previous week. 

As of today there has been a 5.2 percent increase in hospitalizations since last Thursday, with the small county of Harrison experiencing a 50 percent increase (from 2 to 3). Two suburban Counties, Greene (25%) and Fairfield (17.4%), experienced elevated hospitalization rates. Montgomery County had the highest increase in hospitalizations among urban counties (16.2%)  

June 15, 2020

As of June 15, 2020 there have been 41,576 Cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 2,573 deaths. This represents an overall 7.1 percent increase in cases and a 7.0 percent increase in deaths over the seven day period. These modest increases suggest continued progress as Ohio continues to open its economy.

June 11, 2020

As of June 11, 2020 there have been a total of 40,004 Ohio COVID-19 cases and 2,490 deaths. A review of deaths per 100,000 population by county shows tremendous variability with Monroe County in Eastern Ohio reporting a rate of 102 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Mahoning (85), Pickaway (70) and Lucas (62) Counties. Several counties have yet to report a single death and many counties are reporting rates still in the single digits. 

Analysis of moving seven day averages for cases and deaths from March 1st through June shows that both cases and deaths peaked in mid-April and have continued to decline through June. 

June 8, 2020

As of today there have been 38,837 COVID-19 infections reported in Ohio and 2,404 deaths. Cases are declining at a modest pace and vary dramatically by county with Scioto County having the lowest rate at 24 cases per 100,000 population and Marion reporting the highest rate of 4,051 cases per 100,000 population.

June 3, 2020- Exciting offerings for fall!

Register now for the fall Leadership Success Series in Dublin! Courses can be taken individually or as a series, and nurses and pharmacists earn 5.5 hours of continuing education hours! Visit https://www.ohio.edu/chsp/continuing-education/leadership-success-series for more information and registration!

June 2, 2020

Analysis of Ohio COVID-19 fatalities through June 2 shows a total of 2,258 deaths. As previously noted the vast majority of deaths are accounted for by older Ohioans, with more male fatalities than females. The data also shows dramatic variation in death rates per 100,000 population with Monroe County exhibiting the highest death rate of 96 deaths per 100,000 population. The state average death rate was 14 deaths per 100,000. Eighteen rural counties have yet to report a death.

COVID-19 fatalities peaked in mid-April and have declined substantially over the intervening period.

May 28, 2020

A review of Ohio infections and deaths by race as reported by the COVID Tracking project shows that as of yesterday, whites accounted for 52 percent of infections while African Americans accounted for 25 percent and other and unknown race designations accounted for 23 percent of infections. The disproportionate representation of African Americans in the total cases is consistent with patterns noted throughout the Country. Surprisingly, Whites accounted for 80 percent of fatalties while African Americans only accounted for 17 percent of total COVID-19 deaths.

A comparison of COVID-19 fatalities for May 21 and May 28 reveals there have been 2,098 deaths, a 14 percent increase of this time last week.

May 26, 2020

As of May 26, 2020 there have been 33,006 reported cases of COVID-19 reported for the state of Ohio. Tragically, the Ohio Department of Health is also reporting deaths now exceed 2,000. While expected, it is nonetheless shocking. Analysis of total infections and cases per 100,000 by county shows the Southeast Counties to be the least affected (with the exception of recent outbreaks in the Belmont and Hocking County areas). Total cases are still largely concentrated in the urban areas.

Analysis of daily cases over time shows that infections since May 1st are drifting slowly downward.