Ten counties in the northern lower peninsula are now considered to have “medium” levels of community spread of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The rise in cases comes as the Omicron BA-5 variant has become the dominant strain in the state of Michigan with 65% of COVID-19 cases processed at the Michigan Bureau of Labs resulting in the BA-5 strain.
The "medium" distinction by the CDC is based on new cases per one hundred thousand, new COIVD-19 hospitalizations, and rise in the number of hospital beds holding COVID-19 patients.
However, while the rise in cases reported by the state of Michigan and CDC may not cause too much alarm when compared to previous COVID-19 surges throughout the pandemic, the numbers do not portray accurately the spread of this highly contagious variant. This largely has to do with the widespread availability of COVID-19 at-home test kits.
"There's many, many more infections," said Dan Thorell, interim health officer with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, which serves Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Otsego counties. "There was, I believe, a study that suggested that what we're actually seeing in actual cases is probably only about 15% of what is actually out there as far as people getting sick."
Preliminary studies suggest the BA-5 variant is four to five times more likely to breakthrough COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. However, Thorell said "even though you might become ill, we're still seeing protection from the vaccine for less severe illness."
Thorell added there are early reports of an Omicron-specific vaccine could hit the market in the coming months to help stop the spread of the virus even more.
"It is likely that there will be modifications made to future COVID vaccines to better match the circulating strains out there, not unlike what happens with the flu vaccine every year," said Thorell.
Last week Michigan had 15 counties at the CDC’s “medium” level of community spread. That number is now 34.
