New COVID cases in state still climbing

New COVID cases in West Virginia and locally continue to rise, with 2,131 reported in the state over the weekend.

The positivity rate (the percentage of positive tests of the total tested) was 9.22 percent and 29 of the state’s 55 counties were in yellow on the County Alert System map Monday.

Early last month, all counties were green.

The rise reflects what state officials have been predicting: a surge reaching here that has already been occurring nationwide.

Dr. Clay Marsh, the state COVID-19 Czar, said last week the surge will be seen over the next two to three weeks.

“We do have another surge that is happening in both the United States and also in West Virginia,” he said. “As we look at the cause of this surge we see this is another from of the Omicron variant.”

Marsh said the virus is “continuing to change, to mutate,” and those mutations allow the virus to be even more infectious, better evading immune systems.

The RT value, or rate of spread, was at 1.16 now, he said, “which means COVID is definitely spreading.”

Hospitalizations are also up, having almost doubled since April 20, from 77 to 152. as of Monday.

Both Marsh and Gov. Jim Justice also said the number of new cases is most likely more than what is officially reported.

“A few months ago, we didn’t have a home test kit,” Justice said. ‘If we have those cases today, how many would we have if we didn’t have a home test kit?”

That’s because results of the home tests are usually not reported.

“It has got to concern us,” he said. “These numbers have to underinflated…”

Marsh said new forms of the Omicron variant are spreading, with the BA.2.12.1 variant now becoming the most common form in the U.S. and in West Virginia.

The problem, he said, is that as the variants mutate they become more infectious, and people can contract it more than once. They also continue to have a greater impact on those 50 and over.

That is why being vaccinated and boosted is crucial for that age group, he said.

Mercer County reported 100 new cases last week, a number that has gradually been rising, but the county remains in the green.

The Mercer County Health Department is sponsoring a vaccine clinic Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. at Princeton Rescue Squad’s Karen Preservati Education Center. All vaccines and boosters will be available.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com