While Monroe County has seen a slight increase in COVID cases recently, officials are uncertain whether the new subvariant BA.5 that is sweeping the country is responsible.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services categorized Monroe County’s transmission level as medium with an average of 15 daily cases per 100,000 over a 7-day period. That number had been 12 the previous week.
Kim Comerzan, director of the Monroe County Health Department, said the positivity rate is 15.8%. She is unaware if BA.5 is among those being tested positive with COVID.
“We are aware that the BA.5 variant is circulating,” Comeran said. “There has been some increase of COVID cases in Monroe County. We expect to see cases continue, but at this point, with the availability of vaccine everywhere, we are hopeful that a surge as in the past will not occur.”
Tausha Moore, Public Relations Director with ProMedica, said there has not been an increase in hospitalizations due to BA.5.
“Currently, COVID-19 hospitalization at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital is low,” she said. “While our hospitals do not test for specific COVID-19 variants, it is reasonable to assume, based on the national data, that BA.5 is in our community.”
Moore added that the BA.5 subvariant is responsible for more than 50% of COVID cases across the nation. Some estimates put the percentage closer to 65% of new cases in the U.S.
Monroe County reported 142 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 173 cases and three deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 41,616 cases and 486 deaths.
While the BA.5 omicron subvariant is pushing up COVID cases and hospitalizations in Michigan, only 3.1% of Monroe County hospital beds are occupied by COVID patients.
Across Michigan, known cases of the virus have risen nearly 34% in the last three weeks, from a daily average of 1,780 new cases in the week ending June 21 to 2,383 new daily cases reported in the week ending July 12, according to state data.
The percentage of positive coronavirus tests rose to 19.6% statewide Monday, according to MDHHS, which is higher than Monroe County’s 15.8
While health officials say the state is not at previous levels, a surge is possible. Some are concerned that a surge is inevitable. Michigan appears to be a relatively low-risk state for coronavirus transmission.
“We are still looking fairly good with most of our regions in green,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian told the Detroit Free Press. “Now do I think we will we’ll stay that way? Probably not. We have to be prepared for cases to go up. We know that BA.4 and BA.5 are spreading throughout the country and in our in our region as well.”
State and local health officials continue to monitor the situation closely. They warn that a surge might occur in the next few weeks.
The BA.5 concern officials it tends to be more transmissible and better at evading immunities, meaning it can still infect people who have had the virus. It also is more likely to cause breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated.
Officials maintain that is why COVID-19 vaccine boosters are important for people who are eligible. As of last week, about 50.4% of Monroe County residents were fully vaccinated and 56.8% of the population had initiated the vaccine protocol.
Statewide, about 55% of Michiganders eligible for a first booster dose have received one. About 28.2% of Michigan residents ages 50 and older who are eligible for a second booster have gotten one.
Second boosters have been authorized for U.S. adults 50 and up, as well as certain people with weakened immune systems, since March. But for anyone under the age of 50, only one booster is authorized.
