What You Should Know About Omicron Now
 Image from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Cases of the COVID-19 infection due to the Omicron variant and its subvariants continue to increase in the state and around the country. These variants are believed to be more transmissible and/or more capable of escaping immunity due to mutations on the virus. This means that our immune system may not be as good at recognizing the virus due to the changes that have occurred.
Because it is able to avoid immunity, infection and reinfection is possible even for those who are vaccinated or who have recently been infected with COVID-19. Vaccines are still doing a good job of protecting against severe disease and hospitalization, but are not as effective at preventing infection. Although there are increases in cases of infection in many places, hospitalization and deaths remain lower than in previous waves.
While the risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death is greatly reduced for most people due to prior immunity, being sick with COVID-19 can interrupt vacations, family events, time with friends and cause missed work or school. All of this is in addition to the inconvenience of not feeling well and the risk of long COVID. Infection prevention is still an important consideration. As you assess your personal risk during periods of higher community transmission, you may decide that now is the time to increase the level of precautions you take to protect yourself against infection. It is important to take the CDC COVID-19 Low Community Levels into consideration as you make decisions, but you may need to go above and beyond the CDC's recommendations based on your personal situation. Ottawa County has remained in the CDC COVID-19 Low Community Level for many weeks, but it is possible that will change as cases increase.
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Get up to date with vaccine doses and boosters, especially if you are over 50 years old. The graphic below shows current eligibility for booster doses. Don’t wait to get boosted if you are eligible and have not received all of your doses yet. A recent study found that vaccine effectiveness against being hospitalized due to infection with BA.2/BA.2.12.1 increased to over 80% after a second booster dose for people over 50. In addition, according to the CDC, getting vaccinated or boosted now will not prevent you from getting an authorized variant-specific vaccine in the fall or winter. If you or members of your family are unvaccinated and you have questions, contact your trusted health care provider to discuss what is best for you.
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Speak to your health care provider now about treatment options. If you become infected, there are treatment options available, but some of them must be started within five days of the beginning of symptoms. If you are immunocompromised or have underlying health concerns, it’s important to have a plan for treatment in case you become infected. In addition to accessing treatment through your doctor, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this month authorized pharmacists to prescribe the treatment Paxlovid in certain situations as well.
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Consider masking in indoor settings. Right now, many Michigan counties are at the Medium COVID-19 Community Level and four Michigan counties are at the High COVID-19 Community Level. A significant portion of the United States counties are also at the high community level, which means you may be traveling to a county where stronger mitigation is recommended. The CDC strongly recommends masking at the high community level, but depending on your personal risk for exposure or your risk of severe illness if you become infected, you may want to mask at the low or medium levels.
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Use at-home tests to make decisions about gathering and to prevent transmission to others. At-home tests do a good job at determining when you are most contagious. However, if you have symptoms and test negative, do not assume that your negative test means you are not infected. If used too early, an at-home test will produce a negative result because there may not be enough virus built up in your body for the test to catch. If you have symptoms of any kind, or believe you have been exposed, it is best to isolate until you know you do not have COVID-19. You should get a PCR test or use multiple at-home tests, with at least 24 to 48 hours in between each test. If you are using the test before gathering or visiting someone vulnerable, it is best to test 48 hours before your visit and then again immediately before your visit. It's also a good idea to consider reducing activities or isolating before your visit to reduce your chances of exposure. If you test is positive, call your health care provider and follow the CDC’s recommendations for isolation.
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Increase ventilation when you gather with a group. Opening doors and windows can help to increase airflow in your space and move virus particles out to help create a lower risk environment.
We've provided more information on many of the above tools in the bulletin. Keep reading for more information!
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Booster Dose Eligibility
Booster doses are a very important tool to prevent severe illness and hospitalization from Omicron infection, as well as helping to prevent infection. Many age groups are eligible for booster doses now. See the graphic below for your age group and eligibility.
If you haven't received your recommended booster dose, consider doing so today. Doses are available at local pharmacies and by appointment at the OCDPH clinic on James Street in Holland.
 
Vaccination for Children Under 5
 According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), in Michigan, there have been more than 427,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in those age 19 and younger and 44 deaths have been reported in children ages 0 to 19 as of June 15.
Just like adults, children and teens can get sick from COVID-19, have short and long-term health problems and spread COVID-19 to others. Harm, injury and death from COVID-19 infection, even if rare, can be safely prevented through vaccination. It's not just a matter of considering the risk of potential side effects of vaccination against not being vaccinated; it's important to consider the risk of COVID-19 infection against the potential side effects of vaccination. If you have questions about whether you should vaccinate your child, contact your pediatrician or trusted health care provider to discuss what is best.
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COVID-19 Treatments
We now have effective tools to fight back against this virus, but you need to act quickly after your positive test result. Some COVID-19 treatments must be started within the first five days of the beginning of your symptoms. Talk with your health care provider now to see which option may be right for you in the event that you become ill.
- Oral antivirals
- IV treatments
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Ottawa County Data Hub
Ottawa County publishes recent COVID-19 data relating to community transmission, counts, descriptive statistics and test positivity. The data hub is updated every weekday from Monday - Friday by 4:00 pm. View Data Hub
Weekly COVID-19 Data Reports can be found on our COVID page.
Ottawa County Case Rates
 As of July 19, 52 new cases of COVID-19 were reported each day on average over the last 7 days, similar to the 51 daily reported cases over the previous 7-day period. These reports do not include results in people tested with antigen test kits at home; true case counts may be underreported.
CDC COVID-19 Community Level
 Ottawa County is currently in the low COVID-19 Community Level.
Where to Find COVID-19 Vaccines
OCDPH lists all of its COVID-19 vaccination clinics on VaccinateWestMi.com. Click on the calendar to find scheduling and walk-in opportunities in Ottawa County and the surrounding area.
- The Pfizer or Moderna series for children under 5.
- The Pfizer two-dose vaccine is available for individuals aged 5 years or older.
- The Moderna two-dose vaccine is available for individuals aged 18 years or older.
- The Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine is available for individuals aged 18 years or older.
- Boosters are now recommended for anyone 12 years or older and those under 12 who are immunocompromised.
- A second booster dose is recommended for those over 50 years old and for those aged 12 to 49 who are immunocompromised.
- Proof of date of birth is required (driver’s license, state ID or birth certificate). Parental consent is required for minors. Find more details and requirements on each clinic's page.
- If you are receiving a second dose or a booster, please remember to bring your vaccine card to your appointment.
- Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens.
 The Macatawa Area Express (MAX) and Allegan County Transportation are offering free rides for residents to vaccination appointments. To schedule a trip, call MAX at 616-355-1010. LEARN MORE - Kent County Vaccine Transportation Access Information HERE.
COVID-19 Testing
Need Testing? No-Cost Community Sites. Rapid antigen testing for anyone with or without symptoms (parental consent required for minors). Samples are taken by nasal swab. Results within 15-30 min. No appointment needed • No doctor’s order needed • No insurance needed • No fee • Please bring a form of ID • No pets allowed • Wear a face covering. Find locations, dates and times at www.miOttawa.org/covid19
MDHHS Resources
Vaccine Information I MI Vaccine Locations I FAQs
More COVID-19 Vaccine Information Resources
VaccinateWestMi.com FAQs I Deaf & Hard of Hearing FAQ Videos
CDC COVID-19 FAQs Flyer I CDC FAQ Website
Alternative Languages: Arabic | Spanish | Korean | Russian | Simplified Chinese | Tagalog | Traditional Chinese | Vietnamese
Click to learn more from the CDC's COVID-19 Webinars and Partner Calls Videos
The Ottawa County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) sent this update to those who signed up for vaccine notifications or COVID-19 updates. You may also sign up to receive information about other news topics from Ottawa County Parks, Sheriff’s Office and more. See the end of this email to make any changes to your subscription preferences.
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