ELKINS — Local health officials are growing increasingly concerned about a new coronavirus variant that was first spotted in India and is making its way across the United States.
The Delta variant is said to be 60 percent more transmissible, is more contagious than other COVID-19 strains. Even though no confirmed cases have been found in West Virginia, 46 other states now have confirmed cases.
“With all the travel that people are doing, we expect to have the Delta variant in the area, if not already,” Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph-Elkins Health Department’s infectious disease specialist, said Tuesday. “It is much more contagious, which makes it more easily spread. And we’ve heard that people get sicker with it.”
Woodrum said the best defense against the new strain is to be fully vaccinated.
“Our focus now is getting people vaccinated,” she said. “We especially want to get young people vaccinated this summer so we can keep school in session next winter.”
Florida has been one of the hardest-hit states by the new variant
“The last two cases I investigated here were people who traveled to Florida for vacation. So it may already be here because we don’t have a way to test for the Delta just yet,” she said. “A lot of people in this area travel to Florida, and a lot of people from Florida come back here for the summer, so they might be bringing it with them.”
Woodrum said the Delta variant now makes up about 20 percent of all new cases in the United States.
“The vaccines are effective against the Delta variant,” Woodrum said. “So the best thing to help from getting it and spreading it, is to be vaccinated.”
Anyone wishing to be vaccinated can do so by making an appointment at the Randolph-Elkins Health Department. Vaccines are also available at most of the local pharmacies and some health providers.
“We will work with groups if they want to set up vaccinations at their site, we will come to them,” Woodrum said. “And we will continue to make appointments every week for those wanting to come into the health department.”
After a spike in active cases at the end of May and the beginning of June, this week’s numbers have held steady. There were 22 active cases in Randolph County a week ago, almost identical to last week’s totals.
“We are right around about 20 active cases this week,” Woodrum said Tuesday. “We’ve got six new ones since Thursday, but we had some go off the list as well.”
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June 23, 2021 at 11:05AM
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