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A processing error leads to an artificially low count of 18 new COVID-19 cases reported in Athens County for Jan. 25

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens County has now had 12,895 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic after 18 additional cases were reported Tuesday.

The Ohio Department of Health said the number is artificially low due to a processing error that shut down the reporting of tests at 5 p.m. Monday. Officials said the most helpful indicators of COVID-19 spread are hospitalizations, test positivity, case rates per 100,000 residents and cases by illness onset date.

According to ODH data, the cases involved five people 50-59, three people 40-49, two people 20-29, two people 30-39, two people 60-69, two people 80+, one person 0-19 and one person 70-79.

One already confirmed case required hospitalization for a person in their 60s. According to the data, 329 people in Athens County have been hospitalized due to complications related to this coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

A total of 52.77% of the county has started the vaccination process and 49.04% has completed it, according to ODH. There have also been 16,206 additional doses administered.

Anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms is asked to call their primary care physician, urgent care, or emergency department before arriving for care to let them know that they believe they are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 virus.

An age breakdown of Athens Co. COVID-19 cases for Jan. 25 2022.
An age breakdown of Athens Co. COVID-19 cases for Jan. 25 2022. [ODH]
Tuesday at 2 p.m., the Ohio Department of Health announced 4,163 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 statewide were reported in the last 24 hours before the processing error at 5 p.m. Monday. There were also 565 hospitalizations, 45 ICU admissions and 502 deaths reported in the same time frame.

ODH makes the following recommendations to protect yourself from illness:

  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; dry hands with a clean towel or air dry hands.
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.
  • Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Avoid contact with people who are sick.

Ohio’s coronavirus call center is open to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The hotline number is 1-833-4-ASK-ODH or 1-833-427-5634. More information is available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.