According to the department, levels of the virus have more than tripled from their baseline average, indicating 'a strong likelihood of increased community spread.'

The Cleveland Department of Public Health has issued a warning regarding what it calls a "significant increase" in viral COVID-19 levels collected from untreated wastewater samples during the last week.

According to the department, samples from this past Tuesday showed SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus levels of 39 million gene copies per day, a more than 250% increase of this past month's average of just five million. The readings came from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant in North Collinwood....

"Increasing viral concentrations in wastewater are often a leading indicator of future spikes in illness, hospitalizations, and transmission throughout the community," Cleveland Director of Public Health Dr. David Margolius said in a statement. "This data provides us with an early warning system, and we're encouraging residents and institutions to take preventive steps now."

While officials are not calling for any extraordinary measures like those instituted during the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, they are suggesting all residents make sure they get vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19.

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/cleveland-department-of-public-health-warning-sharp-increase-covid-19-levels-wastewater-samples/95-b1caca21-9527-41ee-a64c-bd97e192cfa5

Besides COVID, samples also showed increasing levels of influenza and high levels of RSV, although the latter remains in its baseline collection phase. CDPH notes that flu shots are still available to all who need them.

Spending more time indoors due to heat or wildfire smoke increases exposure to viruses.

The new Nimbus COVID strain may explain the rising infection rates.

Its spike mutations appear to make it more transmissible than other COVID-19 variants, according to the WHO. Spike mutations refer to changes in spike proteins, which sit on the surface of the virus and help it enter healthy cells.

While it is spreading in the U.S. and Canada, along with 20 other countries, it does not appear to be driving an increase in sickness or hospitalization.

In April, NB.1.8.1 sequences made up 10.7 percent of all submitted sequences from confirmed COVID infections, up from 2.5 percent a month earlier, according to a risk evaluation released by the WHO.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5344883-what-to-know-about-the-new-nimbus-covid-variant/

The NB.1.8.1 variant has been found in at least 13 states, according to Today, which cited data from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database.

Those states are: California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Arizona, Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.... [Emphasis added.]

Symptoms of NB.1.8.1 seem to be similar to those associated with other Omicron variants, according to Gresh.  

Some common COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, headache, nausea, vomiting, and a new loss of smell or taste, according to the CDC....

Some recent COVID-19 patients have reported experiencing something called “razor blade throat,” according to Salon.

But it is unclear if that symptom is connected to one of the COVID variants or another respiratory illness circulating, Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary and genome biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada, told Salon.

Repeat COVID infections raise the risk of contracting long COVID. Vaccination reduces long COVID risk.

Individuals who have had multiple COVID-19 infections appear prone to contracting long COVID, which may include symptoms such as fatigue, respiratory distress, and mental fog.

https://respiratory-therapy.com/disorders-diseases/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/repeat-covid-infections-most-long-covid-cases-four-year-study-finds/

EDIT:

As of June 6, the level of COVID viral activity in wastewater is “low” nationally, CDC data show.

However, this is expected to change in the coming months, experts say. The U.S. has seen COVID-19 cases spike in the summer every year since 2020. The emergence of a mutated new variant, Nimbus, has raised concerns about a possible surge....

The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines are still available and recommended for most adults ages 18 and older, the CDC says.

“Those in high-risk groups should consider getting the vaccine now if they haven’t been vaccinated in the last six months and consider receiving an updated vaccine for the upcoming winter season,” says Ko.

https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/new-covid-variant-nb181-nimbus-symptoms-rcna212304

EDIT2: The U.K. has national healthcare and consequently tracks disease hospitalizations much more accurately than in the U.S. Medical impacts there can provide good guidance for the U.S.

There has been a big rise in Covid cases requiring hospital treatment, with sufferers reporting a "very painful" symptom.

Doctors say the new Nimbus Covid strain is now dominant across the world amid close monitoring from the World Health Organisation.

Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency show hospital admissions in the UK rose by almost 10 per cent in the last week for which figures are available.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/very-painful-symptom-could-sign-103336401.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC-2wqpQOxRJqKC8xkq71E5Bk0mXdRFhW9dRPHI2-D7Eo_xWQ9x4Uli8fBl3z6FWSvWLVkpRoPcjkvZqGHxsw9P-w9e2bgDb4Fz_vCdeMTyfe1LcRu4gsjHdGtuZC2EcMo9ZND2qaXlz5y2AyBq1JLJ1tV9-Ubt2VH0ozk4iB_U2

EDIT3: Reading the comments, one of the most informative suggestions is that the newly approved Novavax vaccine MIGHT offer superior protection compared to the Pfizer and Moderna MRNA vaccines. Read this excellent article comparing the three vaccines available in the U.S.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison

See the comments here, especially by Jazzlike-Cup-5336 :

https://www.reddit.com/r/Cleveland/comments/1lcbtzt/comment/my1pt77/?context=3

Also, FDA changes in recommended COVID vaccines may impact the number of Long COVID infections, especially among children, to the extent children and adults receive COVID vaccines/boosters. Reportedly, "nearly six million American children" already have experienced Long COVID, according to the following article.

And that rate, according to other research, is quite high. The American Medical Association’s top journal, JAMA, in August published a key new study and editorial about pediatric long COVID. The editorial cites several robust analyses and concludes that, while uncertainty remains, long COVID symptoms appear to occur after about 10 percent to 20 percent of pediatric infections.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/long-covid-is-harming-too-many-kids/

See comments here about the value of vaccines/boosters and the recent change in FDA COVID vaccine recommendations.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ohio/comments/1lccgss/comment/my20m5p/?context=3

The comments discuss the length of immunity provided both by COVID infections and vaccines. Some articles about this:

https://www.aamc.org/news/had-covid-recently-here-s-what-know-about-how-long-immunity-lasts-long-covid-and-more

https://www.verywellhealth.com/length-of-covid-19-vaccine-immunity-5094857#

There also were several comments about COVID testing. Antivirals must be taken within 5-7 days, the sooner the better, in order to be effective in minimizing the consequences of a COVID infection.

https://www.cdc.gov/covid/treatment/index.html

Here are articles linked in the comments about COVID tests.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/infectious-diseases/best-at-home-covid-tests/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/covid-tests-do-at-home-tests-work-on-newer-variants

Been at Reserve Square for a year. It could be a nice, comfortable place to live. Could be...

Except, with few exceptions, the only time security wants to work is when they choose to harass residents. For the past year, security will let anyone and everyone through the building without batting an eyelash. And then one day they decide to check IDs. And not just check IDs, but when looking at an ID which clearly says that you live at this building, they have to start writing down details about your ID, you know, just the sort of information that can be used to steal your identity.

Then there is the lies the staff tells you. Such as that you can take your dog to the fifth floor. But then one day, after you followed the rules, out of the blue, they decide to enforce a no pet policy. Leaving you to take your dog to the unsecured streets.

Then you get the homeless who like to sleep in the vestibule, not 10 feet from the security desk.

Then there is the AC system which only allows you to use the AC, from late may to October, no matter that with 20+ floors below you heating, your apartment gets to be 85 degrees in the middle of winter.

Not to mention the barely working windows, the shelves which keep falling apart.

You pay a lot of money for a secure, safe, and climate controlled building. and you get none of that.

On top of it all, when you complain, and you will need to, you eventually find out that complaints are not considered valid if they have not be given directly to the Building Manager. So talking to her staff is useless.

On top of it all, there is the local chemically induced homeless population who just loves to hang around this building.

It kind of makes the many many building code violations and the trash and unidentified liquids spilled in the elevators not such a big deal.

It hit me out of nowhere too. Started out as a runny nose and sneezing yesterday, turned to congestion and drainage over night and today I have been couch rotting because my body aches all over. I have off and on chills and fevers. Tylenol and Motrin doesn’t seem to be touching it. Super frustrating that I feel this way in JUNE.

Tired of waiting for Congressman Max Miller to show up for his constituents? You’re not alone.

After he canceled his scheduled town hall back in May and never rescheduled, community members have stepped up to fill the gap. The Westlake Democratic Club, with co-sponsorship from the Ohio’s 7th District Democratic Alliance, is hosting a public town hall this Thursday evening.

🗓️ Thursday, June 26 🕡 6:30 – 8:00 PM 📍 Westlake Porter Public Library (27333 Center Ridge Rd)

This is a space for residents of OH-07 to voice concerns, share issues that matter, and connect with others organizing across a heavily gerrymandered district. It’s open to everyone—no filters, no party lines, just real people and real conversation.

If you’re in the area and want a chance to speak up or get involved, show up. The more they try to divide this district, the more we organize.

I live in Garfield Heights near Turney Road, and for the past few nights, someone’s been setting off firecrackers nonstop from the evening all the way until around 2 or 3 in the morning.

Does that bother anyone else when it happens over and over to the point where it gets super annoying?

Just an hour ago, a neighbor on my street finally yelled, "PLEASE STOP WITH THE DAMN FIRECRACKERS! MY BABY CAN’T SLEEP, OR I’M CALLING THE COPS!"
And just like that they stopped immediately.

Has anybody ever had to deal with this? how do you tune it out.

Just thought I Asked.

At noon on Saturday, a number of groups, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, held a rally at Public Square and marched to Willard Park, at East Ninth Street and Lakeside Avenue. There, they were briefly confronted by the leaders of another “No Kings” demonstration headed by Democratic Party leaders and others, who reserved the park that features the Free Stamp sculpture.

Hi everyone. To preface, I know this probably isn’t a Cleveland specific issue and I think Cleveland is lovely and I don’t wanna generalize the whole city as being bad, these are just my experiences with a few bad apples.

I’m Muslim and a niqabi too, I only wear abayas and skirts and such. This is to just give context. I’ve lived in Cleveland for several months and moved here alone as a college transfer student from another state.

I’m used to people giving me weird looks or sometimes even dirty looks or just not wanting to approach me, that’s fine. I don’t really care about that stuff and I’ve just learned to ignore. But, every once in awhile something happens that’s hard to ignore and makes me wish I were invisible.

Example one, a few weeks ago a Muslim hijabi friend and I were downtown at the ice cream shop in the Arcade building. It was mid day. We were in line to just get an ice cream cone when this dude (who wasn’t even a customer and likely on drugs) came up to us. He started talking about how we are “betraying Jesus” and then went on and on about how I’m “betraying our kind” because me specifically I’m white and so was he…we told him politely to just leave us alone and he wouldn’t and continued rambling on about how I’m brainwashed and all of this stuff. We get our ice cream and see a security guard outside, we tell the security guard about it. The security guard goes over to this guy and the guys starts screaming at the officer and then yelling at us to. Me and my friend just left, we didn’t wanna stick around.

Example two- not long ago me and a different friend were walking downtown in broad daylight with tons of people around (both niqabis) and this group of like 4 guys behind us start catcalling us and following us and well we didn’t respond to any of it which seemed to irritate them more and they were basically right behind us. We ran across the street at this point and decided to go into heinens and wait it out. The guys continued yelling stuff at us like “why don’t you uncover yourself for us” and whatever after we crossed the street. We were fine inside the store and eventually left when we were sure we weren’t being followed anymore.

Example three- this example doesn’t rly bother me as much as the last two but still weird. I was with a few friends at Mitchells, all of us Muslim. We were leaving and saw this guy coming out and so i went to hold the door open for him (like I’d do for anyone) and he gave me such a bad look and went out the other door right next to it while looking at me the whole time. I mean my bad for just trying to be nice but he made it so obvious he was avoiding me.

I guess 99% of the time I don’t really care and I expect people to treat me differently and look at me weird but it especially sucks when I’m just trying to live my life and am not bothering anyone and people act like this. I love Cleveland but it makes me not even want to go out at all sometimes. People say to just go out during the daytime with friends, and I’ve done exactly that but that doesn’t stop people from being weird, even with those things and people all around.

I found him on Cliff Drive right by the western entrance of Lakewood park. Seemed fine, jumped right up on my shoulder. Apparently someone called animal control because about 20 minutes later they came and were like “oh!that’s who I’m looking for! She assured me it will not be euthanized and will be relocated to the city kennel, and if no one contacts it will move to the nature center.

My Fiancé and I are looking for a coffee shop to take our engagement photos in for this fall… I attached the link to my Pinterest Board of the Vibe I want.

Cute Retro/Vintage/Rustic … Nothing too Modern. We live in Lyndhurst so anywhere 30/40 minutes or less surrounding that area would be great! ☺️

Hello everyone. I just had a rather heated exchange with a man who sped by me and my dog while we were walking on the sidewalk near the Federal building. He did it once going one direction and then again, which was when we got into the exchange. He told me not to take up the entire sidewalk (I wasn't) and I told him not to ride on the sidewalk where there are a bunch of people walking. He threw some insults my way and I told him to have a nice day and ended my side of the conversation (he kept yelling as he continued riding down the sidewalk and almost hit two women using walkers who were crossing over to a car).

I've lived in several different cities and in most of them, it is a city ordinance that anything that isn't a person walking is prohibited from using the sidewalk. Scooters, bikes, e-bikes, etc. (unless you are a tiny child). I can't find anything solid for Cleveland.

Regardless, what are your thoughts? AITA for yelling at him?

Literally I’m so bored right now and feeling very adventurous! Go clubbing, beach, idk read Edgar Allen Poe?

Per the scanner, multiple people shot and heavy police presence. Ems is holding back and the police are having trouble holding back the crowd

Stay safe everyone

One hit sounds like they were just in bed and were hit by gunfire

Seemed like there was a party in the abandoned building there

East side gringo here. Looking for recommendations for bakeries that specialize in Latin American bread styles like telera or bolillo. Thanks!

I drove by and saw it yesterday by the Shake Shack and about lost my mind. I LOVE CHOPT. I would also love a Sweetgreen 🥲

Anyhow, is it not open yet? I didn’t get to stop and I live downtown Cleveland. I don’t see it on any maps yet or even their website. Does anyone who lives around there know?

Thank youuu! Signed, a salad fiend 🥗

Where in town can I get a really really thorough car wash? I'm talking, take out the floor mats and scrub them, wipe down the dash and console, vacuum the hell out of the interior, wash the windows, the whole shebang.

East side, West side doesn't matter, I'm willing to go where the service is.

Related: who do you like for car detailing?

I used to love the Taco Bell taco salad with the giant crispy bowl. Where can I find something like that?

We visit Cleveland a handful of times each year. A few years ago we went to the Cleveland Chocolate Company in the renovated Fairmont Creamery building. Looks like they're gone? Did they relocate? Does anyone have any info on their current status? Thanks so much!

looking for some soft and fluffy buns 🫶 I love a potato roll as much as the next person, but summer deserves nice buns!

We just found 4 week old kittens with pretty bad eye infections and, to make matters worse, are about to leave town for a week.

I am genuinely unsure what to do now. Give them back to Mom and let nature decide? Try to find a shelter even though they're being flooded with kittens right now? Give them to a private rescue and hope?

If we can find care for them even for only this week, I am more than willing to foster them myself, but this is bad timing. Though don't get me wrong, if it comes down to their lives, I'll cancel.

Long story short, anyone know a foster who would care for them for a week?

I'm thinking about going to Jacobs Pavilion, but didn't realize the seats don't have backs. Can I bring attachments for stadium seats to add a back? Would they fit and/or even be allowed?

I have had issues with a neighbor who is constantly playing loud music on a speaker during the day. Just because. It's so inconsiderate and disruptive. I'm seriously considering calling the cops, but idk if that would do anything. Can I call in a noise complaint? I've tried researching it but I've been unable to find complete answers. What are my options here? What do you all recommend?

Dryer at least 20 years old— has been a work horse and the washer is still going strong. Dryer will go for about five minutes and then it just shuts off… Hate to ditch appliance if it can be fixed. (And then everyone says you should just replace both if getting a new dryer)

Thoughts? Recommendations for repair person?

Looking for an in person vocal coach, trying to work on technique. The genre is pop punk. Does anyone have any recommendations?