COLUMBUS, Ohio — University Hospitals (UH) in Cleveland reported nine cases of the variant discovered in the United Kingdom, bringing Ohio’s total case count to 10.
UH’s Translational Laboratory uploaded nine sequenced samples of the variant to GISAID, a global database for tracking mutations in COVID-19. The earliest collection date was Dec. 28. The other eight samples were dated Feb. 1 to Feb. 11.
UH researchers said on Jan. 27 the lab had discovered “several of the emerging COVID-19 variants, including the U.K. variant” in northeast Ohio samples. UH did not release further details and state officials did not confirm the report.
The Ohio Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in a Feb. 13 statement Ohio was closing monitoring the arrival of variants in Ohio.
“The Ohio Department of Health has received its first confirmation of the B.1.1.7 variant from a test in Ohio; however, other samples presumed to be the B.1.1.7 variant have been previously detected in Ohio and are awaiting confirmation from the CDC. We will continue to monitor for the presence of new variants throughout the state,” Vanderhoff said.
Boxes of home testing kits for COVID-19 from Britain’s Department of Health are given out to distributors to go door-to-door delivering them to residents in Woking, England, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, during England’s third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Ohio lags behind many states in genetic sequencing of COVID-19. Of more than 103,000 sequenced COVID-19 samples uploaded to GISAID, just 844 were from Ohio.
In the U.S., 1,523 cases of the variant have been reported by the CDC in 42 states, as of Friday’s update. Florida (433), and California (195), and Michigan (157) have reported the most cases.
In a Thursday update to its variant dashboard, the CDC added five cases of the variant, and it now shows six Ohio cases. The CDC has yet to add all of UH’s samples.
Gov. Mike DeWine and Vanderhoff gave stark warnings about the variants Thursday, saying although the arrival and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine appears to be lowering cases, there’s still a future risk.
“These new strains, these new variants, are an important signal,” Vanderhoff said. “They tell us that the virus is becoming more contagious. It’s becoming more efficient.”
DeWine said the state will be keeping a close eye on the variants spreading in Ohio and the nation, especially as the governor’s administration plans to ease restrictions. DeWine announced Thursday they plan to change nursing home and assisted-living visitation policies. Hospitals across the state are also easing up restrictions.
The first Ohio case confirmed by the CDC was added to the dashboard Feb. 12. The sample was collected by the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory, dated the week of Jan. 6.
Sequencing research often involves using optical cameras and glass slides to analyze a mass number of reactions with computers capable of high-processing speeds.
Since the mid-December detection of the more contagious variant in the U.K., U.S. labs have devoted more resources to efforts to track variants.
