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Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low 54F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Six counties are yellow, one is green and the rest of the state is red on the CDC's community COVID-19 levels map, indicating high community levels of the virus in a majority of the state.
Six counties are yellow, one is green and the rest of the state is red on the CDC's community COVID-19 levels map, indicating high community levels of the virus in a majority of the state.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had lowered the COVID-19 risk level for a number of West Virginia counties, including Monongalia, Marion and Taylor in North Central West Virginia, from red to yellow in recent days, many of these counties were back to red by the weekend, indicating high community levels of the illness.
Just six counties in the state — Tyler, Barbour, Randolph, Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Monroe — were yellow, indicating medium community levels of COVID-19, and one — Tucker — was green, indicating low levels of COVID-19. The remaining 48 counties were red.
“Statewide confirmed cases hospitalized continue to trend upwards. This is reflected locally as (WVU Medicine United Hospital Center’s) average daily census has edged up to 23-24 per day and mirrors the message depicted in the CDC map,” said Dr. Mark Povroznik, UHC’s vice president of quality and chair of infection control.
“Those requiring admission to critical care or use of a mechanical ventilator were remaining relatively flat across the state. However, since July and with more widespread circulation of the highly transmissible BA.5, the trend in critical care admissions has been rising, nearly doubling over the past five weeks,” he said.
New vaccines for COVID-19 are emerging. The mRNA vaccine boosters targeting the Omicron variant will require anyone not yet vaccinated to complete the primary vaccination series before receiving the boosters.
The Pfizer bivalent booster targeting both the original COVID strain and the Omicron BA.5 subvariant is expected to be authorized first for ages 12 and older, according to Povroznik.
Moderna’s booster is expected to follow, likely in October, for individuals 18 and older, he said.
“The timing of the BA.5-containing booster will be a primary defense in offsetting the anticipated rise in winter COVID cases. These two booster vaccines are in addition to the newer Novavax vaccine. While messenger-RNA vaccines trick the body’s cells into creating parts of the virus (the spike protein) for the immune system to recognize, the Novavax vaccine contains the spike protein of the coronavirus itself, which cannot cause disease, but also alerts the immune system,” Povroznik said.
According to West Virginia COVID-19 czar Dr. Clay Marsh, up-to-date vaccinations, especially for people 50 and older, have been shown to drastically reduce severe illness and death from COVID-19.
Marsh said the first Omicron-specific boosters are anticipated to be available shortly after Labor Day, with older West Virginians expected to be the recommended group for the first wave of vaccine availability.
Marsh said an Israeli study has also recently shown the effectiveness of Paxlovid treatment for individuals with COVID-19.
Senior staff Writer JoAnn Snoderly can be reached at 304-626-1445, by email at jsnoderly@theet.com or on Twitter at @JoAnnSnoderly.
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