Vaccinated Virginians rarely die of coronavirus, data shows

Only 17 people fully vaccinated against the coronavirus have died of the disease statewide since January, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

The new data, which lags by a couple of weeks, indicates unvaccinated people have made up more than 99% of Virginia’s COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations and fatalities this year — a fact public health officials hope will persuade those still on the fence about getting the shots.

The numbers for so-called “breakthrough cases,” which show Virginia had just one death of a vaccinated person from the coronavirus last month, come on the heels of similar data announced in Maryland, where officials said there were no June virus deaths among the fully inoculated.

In a Friday statement, State Health Commissioner Norman Oliver urged more Virginians to get vaccinated.

“I applaud those who have chosen to protect themselves and the community by getting vaccinated,” he said, “and we appreciate the work of all who are helping to vaccinate Virginians.”

Public health officials say vaccination will be the most effective tool at stopping the pandemic, which has killed more than 11,400 Virginians and infected at least 531,000. One of the deaths last week was a child in the Rappahannock Area Health District, state officials reported, making it the second coronavirus fatality of a person under 10 in Virginia.

When an immune person is exposed to the virus, “the chain of transmission is broken,” slowing the spread from person to person, public health officials say.

Throughout Virginia this summer, most localities have had a reprieve from the pandemic until now. Several health districts’ cases have started ticking up again.

About 2% of standard coronavirus tests were positive statewide, an increase from 1.6% two weeks ago, according to health department data. In Hampton Roads and on the Eastern Shore, some rates are much higher, such as in Newport News, where more than 6% of nasal swab tests were confirmed for COVID-19.

Undervaccinated pockets of the region could leave some communities vulnerable to the delta variant, which wreaked havoc on India. Public health officials say it’s gaining ground in Virginia.

With lax behavior and delta spreading, the state could expect a small but sustained peak of six daily cases per 100,000 people beginning in August and continuing into the fall, according to a recent forecast by the UVA Biocomplexity Institute. For perspective, the peak in January was 68.

To reduce the chance of outbreaks, public health officials are advising unvaccinated residents to continue wearing masks, keeping 6 feet from others and washing hands frequently.

During the past week, nine people were reported to have died from the virus in Hampton Roads: two each in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach; and one each in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Williamsburg, as well as in Accomack and Gloucester counties.

The number of coronavirus cases in the United States rose to 33.8 million last week, according to Johns Hopkins University, and about 607,000 Americans have died. Around the globe, 185.7 million people have had confirmed infections, with 4 million deaths.

Virginia Beach had the highest count of new infections in the region last week, reporting 84 new cases. Chesapeake was next, with 66, then Newport News, with 49.

Today's Top Stories

Daily

Start your morning in-the-know with the day's top stories.

High caseloads are expected in bigger cities, but sometimes communities with fewer people see greater rates of new cases per capita. Chesapeake and Newport News tied for the highest rates in the area based on their population sizes, with about four per 100,000 people. By comparison, Norfolk and Virginia Beach had two and three per 100,000 people, respectively.

In Eastern Virginia, about 73% of hospital beds are occupied, according to data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Intensive care unit hospitalizations have increased for a couple of weeks, but in general emergency room visits for coronavirus-like symptoms have been going down for three months.

About 4.4 million Virginians, or 52% of the population, had been fully inoculated as of Friday. Those figures include people in the state who have been vaccinated through the military, Veterans Affairs and federal prisons. Approximately 59% of Virginians have at least one shot.

Here’s a look at vaccination rates throughout the region:

In Virginia Beach, 59% of adults and 49% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 43% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Norfolk, 45% of adults and 38% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 33% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Newport News, 55% of adults and 44% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 38% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Chesapeake, 58% of adults and 47% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 41% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Portsmouth, 49% of adults and 39% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 33% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Hampton, 54% of adults and 45% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 39% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In James City County, 73% of adults and 61% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 54% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In York County, 65% of adults and 53% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 47% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Suffolk, 56% of adults and 45% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 39% of all residents are fully inoculated.
In Williamsburg, 53% of adults and 48% of the entire population have at least one dose. About 43% of all residents are fully inoculated.

For other pandemic data, go to www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus.

For more information on where to find vaccines, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or www.vaccines.gov. For phone assistance, call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com