testing
No, soaring COVID-19 cases are not due to more testing – they show a surging pandemic
COVID-19 cases are surging upward around the U.S., reaching 100,000 daily cases for the first time on Nov. 4 and 150,000 only eight days later. Some believe this increase in reported cases is a result of increases in testing, as more than 1.5 million tests are performed every day in the U.S. But the evidence […]
Universities stay the course, stay nimble as they ready for spring semester
As spring semester planning approaches, Ohio’s universities largely seem to be staying with their phased pandemic plans or previous plans, but testing in some areas is changing with COVID-19 numbers still a concern. Despite Portage County’s designation as a “red” county on the state’s Public Health Advisory System and categorization as a high case incidence […]
The CDC sent Ohio a broken COVID-19 test kit in February, letting a virus run wild
On Jan. 2, symptoms kicked in around Ohio for the state’s first residents with COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus that has infected more than 150,000 residents. In Ohio, the pandemic had begun — we just didn’t know it yet. The early infections, which would only be detected via antibody testing long after […]
DeWine breaks from controversial CDC guidance on coronavirus testing
In a subtle yet key split from CDC guidance, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that people who have been exposed to the coronavirus but are not showing symptoms should seek testing. Last week, the CDC updated its COVID-19 testing guidance to say people who have had close contact with an infected person but are not […]
‘Simply not acceptable:’ Ohio narrowly misses its monthly COVID-19 testing goal
Ohio is on track to narrowly fall short on a projection the state health department sent to the federal government on COVID-19 testing. While the data reflects testing growth, Gov. Mike DeWine described the goal his administration submitted as unacceptably low, and researchers say Ohio is still not conducting enough testing to understand the full […]
Ohio State to launch mandatory COVID-19 testing program for students
Ohio’s largest university began its early, voluntary phase last week of an ambitious COVID-19 surveillance plan for the looming pandemic semester. But come Aug. 25, if randomly selected Ohio State University students opt out of swabs up their noses, they can expect a university order to quarantine, a referral to Student Conduct for non-compliance, and […]
Seven months into pandemic, COVID-19 testing still falling short
After an initial scare from a COVID-19 rapid-response test in the morning, two diagnostic tests on Gov. Mike DeWine came back negative late Thursday evening. A follow-up test Saturday did as well. For most Ohioans, however, testing scarcity — antigen, antibody and diagnostic (PCR) — has been and continues to be the norm as the […]
Demas: The coronavirus crisis shows now is the time to demand more from our government
America has blown past every country in the coronavirus pandemic, with almost 4 million cases and more than 140,000 deaths. If you want to know why the most medically advanced country in the world ended up here, look no further than the malfeasance and conspiracy-mongering of President Donald Trump. The New York Times this weekend ran a devastating tick-tock […]
ODH projecting 1.5 million COVID-19 tests per month by November
After chronic testing shortages marred the first few months of its COVID-19 response, the Ohio Department of Health projects it will double its current testing capacity by November. ODH plans to complete diagnostic testing of more than 1 million Ohioans per month for the new coronavirus by November and conduct serologic (antibody) testing on another […]
I got tested for COVID-19. Here’s what to expect
Let me start with what you came here for: It stinks to jam an extended, bendy Q-tip-like thing into your own schnoz. And no, diagnostic testing did not reveal the presence of the coronavirus in my system. Ohio’s scaled up test capacity means priority-fives like me (non-health care worker, non-high risk group, no known exposure, […]
Feds delay COVID-19 testing plan deadline
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delayed a deadline for Ohio and other states to submit their COVID-19 testing strategies. Mia Heck, a department spokeswoman, said officials delayed the deadline from Monday back to July 10 primarily to avoid placing an “unnecessary burden” on states. “We do not believe this extension will […]
New COVID-19 cases slow down over last month in Ohio
The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio has trickled downward since early May, an analysis of state data shows. The 10-day average of new cases peaked on May 10 (excluding a surge largely attributable to mass testing in state prisons) at roughly 640. Today that figure is down to an average of 456 new […]