A funny thing happened yesterday. I was prompted by a question to go check in on Ohio’s COVID-19 disease page, which they have updated every few months throughout the last 2.5 years. Usually, when they would update this page, they would expand the definitions of a ‘case’ ever further, to the point of having a cough while being a fully remote college student was sufficient to consider a person a COVID ‘case’ (and no, I am not exaggerating).
It would also be updated with more and more convoluted rules about quarantining, what the definition of a close contact is, testing protocols, the distinctions between probable and confirmed cases and on and on.
But this update in May was different. Very different. All of the rules and definitions are gone.
All of them.
All that is left is the COVID-19 fact sheet that was attached at the very end that was very basic, and was mostly concerning pets. Like don’t use hand sanitizer on pets (again, no, I’m not joking).
I have attached the second newest version I have from January 2022 as well as the one updated in May for you to look at and compare yourselves. But from this stark change, along with Dr. Vanderhoff’s far more laid back demeanor over the last few months, the Ohio Department of Health’s campaign of over-exaggerated fear is over for now.
Why?
My best guess? Politics.
COVID hysteria is wildly unpopular for the majority of Ohioans, as evidenced by Ohioans’ (particularly rural Ohioans) general resistance to getting the shot, and in particular, getting the boosters. Gov. Mike DeWine also did not gain the majority of primary votes this past spring, only winning because the not-DeWine vote was split between two other candidates. It is no longer politically expedient to remind Ohioans just how awful, nonsensical, and destructive Gov. DeWine’s policies have been these last years, and so quietly, they change the rules again to diminish the fear, hoping the letter ‘R’ is enough to vote him back in.
Unfortunately, so much of the damage is already done. Schools, universities, employers and particularly hospitals have taken the prior mandates and mania and are continuing the madness all on their own. People are still being denied employment, denied an education and entry based on this nonsense.
And what Gov. DeWine and his administration have wrought must never, ever be forgotten.
I have long admitted that back in the hysteria of 2020, I volunteered to be part of the Moderna vaccine study. There is a location in Beachwood, and I go periodically for follow ups. I entered in Aug. of 2020, got the 2 shots, and made 1 or two other visits before Jan. of 2020 when the vaccine got the EUA. At that point I had no clue as to whether I had the real or placebo vaccine. Because it was approved, they revealed to us our status (I did have it, and suspected so because of 2 exposures earlier and did not get it. I participated because I wanted to return to normal, and also was going on a cruise in 2021 so needed it for that anyway. The study is finally ending in September. But I have to check in still through an app until then on my health status. Three times I had allergy attacks that I thought could be covid, one back in March of 2020 before the shut down, one in Feb. 2022, and again in May. The symptoms have evolved so much that now literally an allergy attack can be suspect covid. In Feb., because I was getting ready to travel by plane to Florida, I self tested. Negative (used an Abbott BiNax test). In May, I had a dental appointment and the symptoms, so I used one of the free post office tests, that came out positive. No tests were reported. I distrusted the May result and cancelled the appointment but went to the wedding. It turned out several other relatives did get covid around that time. I was hoping a blood donation would reveal if I had it, but they stopped testing before my donation. I went to my doctor for a test but it just showed my vaccine immunity. I'm not going to stress about it, but when you can't tell allergies (nasal discharge, drainage, and coughing) from covid it's time to stop obsessing about this. None of the relatives at the wedding were hospitalized, and several were more elderly than I and had co-morbidities. We need to stop the mass testing, the reporting, the masking, the weekly reports. Time to move on. By the way, Yahoo is reporting a new Omicron super-variant in the US (coming from India) that is even more immune resistant. OH NO!
Omg they just can't give up the 6' randomly pulled number bs. That said, so interesting the changes! Noticeably absent...all the case reporting criteria., symptomology tiers. Wondering if all of that "info" is buried somewhere else.