Hospitals feeling effects of low COVID-19 vaccination rates

“Vaccines are one of the strongest tools we have to change the pandemic. Vaccines offer excellent protection against serious illness,” said Michele Martz, president of UPMC Western Maryland. “You aren’t just getting the vaccine for yourself; you are doing it for those around you — your parents, your children, your neighbors, your co-workers and the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all the other health-care heroes who continue to work countless hours to save lives.”

Mark Boucot, president and CEO of GRMC and Potomac Valley Hospital, agreed.

“We are trying to keep our community as safe as possible,” Boucot said. “The COVID-19 vaccines available can mean the difference between life and death. We are seeing the impact of low vaccination rates. By getting vaccinated, you are less likely to get COVID-19, but even if you have a breakthrough case, you are far less likely to be hospitalized.”

Boucot said the CDC statistics regarding COVID’s impact demonstrate that people who are not vaccinated are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with the virus, and 11 times more likely to die than people who choose to be vaccinated.

“Those statistics should make everyone stop and think. This virus doesn’t discriminate; it doesn’t care who you are or where you live. If the opportunity presents itself, the virus will infect you,” he said.

Garrett’s numbers

The Garrett County Health Department reported 133 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, bringing the county’s cumulative total to 2,916 on Wednesday, according to the Maryland Department of Health’s COVID-19 website. That’s a rise from 101 new cases in the previous week. The week before, there were 121 new cases.

Five coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the county in the past week, bringing the total to 76.

Garrett Regional Medical Center had six hospitalizations for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the health department.

The seven-day test positivity rate for Garrett County was 15.06% as of Wednesday, a rise from 11.85% last week. The state average stood at 3.85 % Wednesday.

The seven-day case rate per 100,000 people in Garrett County was 65.49, a rise from 52.19 the previous week. That puts the county more than three times higher than the Maryland rate, with the state at 17.72 cases per 100,000 people.

The Garrett Health Department reports that 49.4% of the county population over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated. The Maryland Department of Health calculates vaccination percentages based on total population. According to MDH, 12,935 people have received at least a first vaccine dose in Garrett County (44.58%) and 11,907 have been fully vaccinated (41.04%).

According to the state’s COVID-19 online data, Garrett County continues to have the lowest full-vaccination percentage in the state at 41.04%, below Somerset at 43.13% and Allegany County at 45.63%.

This week, Maryland has reported 8,127,860 vaccinations administered, including 181,261 booster doses. Of the eligible population in the state, 84.7% have received at least one dose.

Around the region

As of Wednesday, Maryland had a total of 536,552 confirmed COVID-19 cases — a rise of about 7,500 in the past week.

There have been 10,413 deaths, and 762 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19.

There have been 13.4 million tests performed in the state, with a positivity rate of 3.85% as of Wednesday.

By county, the cumulative case totals are: Prince George’s, 98,360; Montgomery, 81,142; Baltimore, 75,171; Baltimore City, 60,457; Anne Arundel, 51,731; Frederick, 23,601; Howard, 22,299; Harford, 20,042; Washington, 18,708; Charles, 14,138; Carroll, 11,462; Wicomico, 10,659; Allegany, 9,407 (237 deaths); St. Mary’s, 9,316; Cecil, 8,411; Calvert, 5,483; Worcester, 4,863; Dorchester, 3,976; Queen Anne’s, 3,749; Somerset, 3,242; Caroline, 3,035; Garrett, 2,916; Talbot, 2,744; and Kent, 1,640.

In West Virginia, there have been 255,778 COVID-19 cases and 3,998 deaths. About 9,700 cases are currently active.

Preston County has had 4,412 confirmed cases and 73 deaths; Tucker County, 720 cases and 20 deaths; Grant County, 1,631 cases with 32 deaths; and Mineral County, 3,925 cases with 106 deaths.

In Pennsylvania, there were 1,236,710 cases and 30,228 deaths as of Wednesday. Fayette County has had 10,778 confirmed cases with 371 deaths; Somerset, 7,144 and 236 deaths; and Bedford, 4,356 with 158 deaths.