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Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department: 75% of recent COVID-19 cases not vaccinated

Brian Bergstrom
August 10, 2021

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Tuesday that 4,287 cases of COVID-19 are currently active in the Mountain State. That’s an increase of 277 since the last report.

Locally, COVID-19 cases are active in Upshur (114), Barbour (30), Lewis (87), Randolph (81) and Webster (23) counties. In Upshur County, that’s an increase of 15 active cases in the last 24 hours.

The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department reported Monday afternoon that of the 95 cases discovered in the last 10 days, more than three-fourths have been among the unvaccinated population.

“We have had 95 active cases since Aug. 1, 2021,” nurse director/administrator Sue McKisic wrote on social media. “Twenty-two were vaccine breakthrough, 73 were not vaccinated.”

The health department notes this is in line with expectations.

“We were never told the vaccine was 100% effective,” the post from the health department reads. “We were told the symptoms would be lessened if we got COVID-19 and reduce hospitalizations.”

The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department noted that while the vaccinated positives are showing less serious symptoms, a few have been hospitalized due to the risk of underlying health issues.

“The vaccinated ones are not reporting as serious symptoms, but a few have many underlying health issues and a couple have been hospitalized,” the health department said.

Doctors have urged everyone — vaccinated and unvaccinated — to take prudent precautions against the more contagious Delta variant, including wearing masks indoors. Nationally, states with the largest unvaccinated populations are showing far greater increases in hospitalizations and deaths, according to data from the CDC.

“Please do your part; we have very sick people from this round,” the health department said. “If you are told to quarantine or isolate, please do it. We all know the routine, it’s been 17 months of dealing with this. Remember be proactive, not reactive.”

No additional deaths were attributed to the disease Tuesday, according to the DHHR. The daily percent positive was 9.9%.

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of August 10, 2021, there have been 3,180,854 total confirmatory laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 170,656 total cases and 2,972 deaths,” according to a press release.

A total of 887,485 people have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in West Virginia, meaning they have received both doses of the vaccine, the DHHR said. That’s about 50% of the state.

TOTAL CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (1,579), Berkeley (13,340), Boone (2,241), Braxton (1,076), Brooke (2,297), Cabell (9,363), Calhoun (417), Clay (558), Doddridge (661), Fayette (3,757), Gilmer (927), Grant (1,338), Greenbrier (2,958), Hampshire (1,963), Hancock (2,909), Hardy (1,607), Harrison (6,464), Jackson (2,358), Jefferson (4,933), Kanawha (15,943), Lewis (1,445), Lincoln (1,637), Logan (3,423), Marion (4,862), Marshall (3,743), Mason (2,199), McDowell (1,715), Mercer (5,398), Mineral (3,027), Mingo (2,865), Monongalia (9,625), Monroe (1,268), Morgan (1,306), Nicholas (1,990), Ohio (4,473), Pendleton (726), Pleasants (984), Pocahontas (716), Preston (3,002), Putnam (5,590), Raleigh (7,383), Randolph (2,978), Ritchie (786), Roane (699), Summers (879), Taylor (1,367), Tucker (566), Tyler (787), Upshur (2,152), Wayne (3,369), Webster (628), Wetzel (1,489), Wirt (479), Wood (8,234), Wyoming (2,177).