West Virginia officials report seven more COVID deaths
Unvaccinated continue dominance in hospital statistics
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CHARLESTON -- Seven more confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus were reported Thursday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The deaths raise the total since the pandemic started more than two years ago to 6,687 residents of the state.
Deaths reported were a 67-year-old woman from Taylor County, a 73-year-old man from Mercer County, an 80-year-old man from Fayette County, a 75-year-old woman from Hampshire County, an 88-year-old woman from Kanawha County, a 59-year-old man from Fayette County and a 90-year-old man from Mercer County.
The state is encouraging residents to get vaccinated and to get the booster shot. Statistics from the department show vaccinated residents who become infected are less likely to be hospitalized, admitted to an intensive care unit, placed on a ventilator or die.
"If you are hesitant of the COVID vaccine, please talk to your physician," department Secretary Bill J. Crouch said. "Those who contract this virus without protection of the vaccine or booster are at an incredibly high risk for hospitalization and loss of life. I urge you to make that phone call today."
Active cases of the virus have been declining since the peak of more than 21,700 cases in late January. State health officials have been reluctant to say the pandemic is now an epidemic and have cited the increase in cases in Europe and the United Kingdom of the second mutation of the omicron variant, BA.2.
Cases in local counties also are declining. Active cases in local counties (previous day) are: Calhoun 1 (2), Doddridge 2 (2), Gilmer 0 (0), Jackson 5 (5), Pleasants 1 (1), Ritchie 3 (5), Roane 2 (3), Tyler 0 (0), Wetzel 0 (2), Wirt 0 (0), Wood 14 (24).
All counties in the region and the state are green on the County Alert System Map, the lowest level based on infection rates.
Five staff cases and 21 inmate cases were reported in the Division of Corrections. Three are at the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County, one at the St. Marys Correctional Center and one at Parkersburg Community Corrections were reported.
The state reported 193 residents in a hospital, 117 of those are unvaccinated. Forty-eight patients are in an intensive care unit with 32 of those unvaccinated and 30 people are on ventilators, 22 unvaccinated.
WVU Medicine Camden Clark reported further declines in the COVID-patient census in the past week.
The numbers are:
* March 18: 22 patients, 11 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; one person on a ventilator.
* March 19: 21 patients, 12 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
* March 20: 18 patients, 10 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
* March 21: 19 patients, 11 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
* March 22: 20 patients, 13 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
* March 23: 15 patients, nine fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
* March 24: 17 patients, 11 fully vaccinated; two patients in ICU, one fully vaccinated; no one on a ventilator.
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In Addition
* The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported 128 new cases of the virus were received between the Wednesday morning update and the Thursday morning update.