Mercer County is once again in the gold designation on the County Alert System map, an indication of a growing spread of COVID.
According to the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), the county reported 226 new cases last week, a number that has been gradually rising.
Gov. Jim Justice said during his pandemic briefing Tuesday Mercer County was the only county in the state in gold, with most in yellow and some in green.
“It is easy to see … This is not going away,” he said of COVID, adding that it can be controlled, though, with up-to-date vaccinations and boosters.
Dr. Clay Marsh, state COVID-19 Czar, said the main culprit here and around the country is the BA.5 variant, comprising about 78 percent of sequenced positive cases in the U.S.
“We know that the variant is increasing in West Virginia and in the country,” he said, and its “superpower” is to be able to reinfect people who have previously been infected with other forms of COVID.
Marsh once again urged residents, especially those 50 and older, to get vaccinated and boosted.
That is the “most important and crucial response to protect ourselves from the most severe consequences” of the variant, he said.
Hospitalizations for COVID remain above 300 with active cases almost 3,000.
On another health issue, Dr. Ayne Amjad, state Health Officer and head of the Bureau of Public Health, said only one probable case of Monkeypox has been found in West Virginia.
Although the case has not yet been officially confirmed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), “we are confident about this case,” she said.
A vaccine for Monkeypox is available, but only a limited supply which will be used primarily for healthcare professionals. Amjad added.
“The vaccine will not be widely distributed.”
Marsh said last week monkeypox outbreaks around the world are “fairly unusual” with about 7,000 cases confirmed worldwide and 600 in the U.S. and 99 percent of those who contract the virus are male.
Monkeypox can spread through close, prolonged contact with an infected person. This may include coming into contact with skin lesions or body fluids, sharing clothes or other materials that have been used by an infected person, or inhaling respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.
During the briefing, DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch reminded residents of the new three-digit suicide and crisis hotline number, 988.
The line, now a nationwide service, serves to help anyone with mental health and drug issues, but especially those who may be contemplating suicide.
“West Virginia consistently ranks among the states with the highest percentage of people experiencing mental health problems,” he said. “West Virginia continues to lead the nation in drug overdose mortality.”
Crouch said anyone who knows a person in a crisis should tell them about the 988 number and urge them to call.
— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com
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