West Virginia COVID hospitalizations, deaths mostly of the unvaccinated
CHARLESTON — Active COVID-19 cases in Wood County were 684 on Monday, a drop of 71 from Sunday’s report, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ pandemic update.
Cases in Wood County peaked at 1,510 on Sept. 17.
Active case numbers in other local counties on Monday (previous day) were: Calhoun, 21 (24); Doddridge, 72 (86); Gilmer, 46 (44); Jackson, 222 (257); Pleasants, 48 (63); Ritchie, 93 (102); Roane, 149 (152); Tyler, 77 (100); Wetzel, 139 (170); and Wirt, 43 (55).
Active cases statewide as of Monday were 12,284, a drop of 1,275 cases from Sunday and 1,730 cases since Friday’s pandemic report. The state also reported 846 new positive cases in the 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday mornings.
The all-time pandemic high was 29,744 in mid-September from the latest surge of the virus, which state officials believe is fueled by unvaccinated residents and the more-infectious delta variant.
Most patients in the hospital, in intensive care units and on ventilators have not been vaccinated, according to state and local statistics.
More than 900 COVID patients are in a state hospital and, of those, 82.5 percent are unvaccinated. The unvaccinated account for 86.7 percent in an intensive care unit. Of those on ventilators, 89.1 percent are unvaccinated, the state said.
WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center on Monday reported 70 COVID-19 patients in the hospital. Sixty-two are unvaccinated, and eight are fully vaccinated.
Twenty-one patients are in the intensive care unit, where 19 are unvaccinated. Eighteen people are on ventilators, 16 of whom are unvaccinated.
Forty-seven deaths were confirmed by the department on Monday, raising the death toll since the pandemic began in March 2020 to 3,769 people. Monday’s numbers included reporting over the weekend.
The confirmations include a 59-year-old woman from Pleasants County, a 69-year-old woman from Wood County, an 85-year-old man from Wood County, a 72-year-old woman from Wood County and a 76-year-old woman from Roane County. The number of deaths as of Monday is 212 in Wood County, 24 in Pleasants County and 16 in Roane County.
Deaths also were confirmed in Lincoln, Mineral, Lewis, Braxton, Kanawha, Randolph, Harrison, Clay, Greenbrier, Berkeley, Kanawha, Putnam, Lewis, Ohio, Jefferson, Preston, Cabell, Nicholas, Mineral, Hancock, Logan and Mercer counties. The youngest were 20- and 21-year-old men.
“Our hearts go out to these grieving families,” said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR cabinet secretary. “West Virginians ages 12 and older can stop the loss of life by scheduling a COVID vaccine.”
Wood, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge and Jackson counties were red Monday on the County Alert System map, the worst level based on infection rate and the percentage of positivite tests. Pleasants, Wirt, Ritchie, Gilmer and Roane were orange, second highest.
Calhoun is green, the lowest level. Tucker and Pendleton counties also are green.
Four counties are gold, mid-level on the chart; three counties are yellow, second lowest; 18 are orange; and 27 are red.
Wood County Schools is reporting 132 confirmed cases.Parkersburg High has the most at 18, with 13 each at Jackson Middle and Parkersburg South and nine at Jefferson Middle.