Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive for COVID again as Ohio sees uptick in cases

Gov. Mike DeWine has tested positive for COVID-19 as Ohio contends with a summer surge in cases.

DeWine, 77, took a COVID test early Tuesday after experiencing mild symptoms, including sneezing and a runny nose, that worsened overnight. He's working from home this week and taking the antiviral drug Paxlovid prescribed by his doctor, according to the governor's office.

This marks at least the third time that DeWine has come down with COVID-19 since the illness emerged in 2020.

Ohio reported 7,347 cases of COVID-19 last week, a 23% increase from the end of July, according to the state Department of Health . DeWine's office said cases and wastewater detections have risen since late June. The average number of hospitalizations over the past three weeks sat at 190.

The Omicron variant KP.3.1.1 is driving most COVID cases in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon approve new mRNA vaccines that target more recent strains of the virus, the Washington Post reported .

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive for COVID again as Ohio sees uptick in cases