West Virginia not seeing increase in COVID hospitalizations
Gov. Jim Justice Wednesday reminded residents to remain vigilant against COVID-19. The governor held a press briefing that included Dr. Matthew Christiansen, state health officer.
CHARLESTON — COVID-related hospitalizations have increased across the country, but not yet in West Virginia, state officials said Wednesday. “We have not seen a lot of COVID-related hospitalizations here in West Virginia,” state Health Officer Dr. Matthew Christiansen said. Hospitalizations in West Virginia are averaging about 10 a day, or 70 or 80 a week, Christiansen said during the Wednesday briefing with Gov. Jim Justice. Hospitalization rates in West Virginia have been the lowest since April 2020, Christiansen said. While the public health emergency expired in May and response to the pandemic has lessened, people have more ways available to protect themselves against COVID-19 and the flu and other respiratory ailments including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), Christiansen said. RSV is common and affects the respiratory system and feels like a cold. “These are other vaccine preventable illnesses,” he said. The Bureau of Public Health will track data on the illnesses and respiratory viruses this fall, Christiansen said. Efforts will be expanded with the creation of the Pan-Respiratory Advisory Committee that will convene next month and focus on flu, RSV and COVID-19, he said. “We do expect to see some increases coming up in the fall,” he said. How much depends on whether people get vaccinated and take precautions to prevent getting infected or spreading a virus, Christiansen said. West Virginia generally lagged behind the national infection numbers, but eventually the cases and new variants arrived, Justice said. “But they always came here,” he said. Nationally, COVID hospitalizations increased more than 22% in the first week of August, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Justice encouraged people not to become panicky, yet watch out for themselves. “Protect yourself,” he said. “There’s no need to panic, there’s no need to run out and go crazy.” In the meantime, two people from Jackson County were among the five deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus recorded in the last week in West Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources said. The department in its weekly Wednesday morning update reported the death of a 65-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman from Jackson County and the deaths of a 75-year-old man from Ohio County, a 92-year-old woman from Hampshire County and a 61-year-old male from Mercer County. The death count from the virus as of Wednesday in West Virginia was at 8,175, the department said. Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.Local News
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