The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of May 11, 2022, there are currently 1,325 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been four deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 6,886 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
DHHR has confirmed the death of an 82-year old male from Marshall County.
Additional deaths reported on the dashboard as a result of the Bureau for Public Healths continuing data reconciliation with the official death certificate are a 90-year old female from Marion County, a 69-year old female from Fayette County, and a 69-year old female from Kanawha County. These deaths occurred in March and April 2022.
"The COVID-19 vaccine is life-saving and available to all West Virginians ages five and older, and the booster shot is available to those twelve and older," said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. "Please make the decision to protect yourself and your family."
CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (9), Berkeley (117), Boone (31), Braxton (8), Brooke (8), Cabell (64), Calhoun (2), Clay (2), Doddridge (1), Fayette (31), Gilmer (3), Grant (0), Greenbrier (85), Hampshire (6), Hancock (36), Hardy (4), Harrison (52), Jackson (6), Jefferson (77), Kanawha (98), Lewis (8), Lincoln (18), Logan (23), Marion (75), Marshall (17), Mason (13), McDowell (11), Mercer (34), Mineral (11), Mingo (4), Monongalia (103), Monroe (22), Morgan (6), Nicholas (24), Ohio (47), Pendleton (11), Pleasants (2), Pocahontas (3), Preston (18), Putnam (30), Raleigh (65), Randolph (11), Ritchie (1), Roane (1), Summers (8), Taylor (19), Tucker (3), Tyler (0), Upshur (25), Wayne (28), Webster (3), Wetzel (3), Wirt (0), Wood (30), Wyoming (8). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.
Delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from the local health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Please visit www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.
West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination; after the primary series, first booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older. Second booster shots for those age 50 and over that are 4 months or greater from their first booster have been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site near you, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.
Free pop-up COVID-19 testing is available today in Barbour, Berkeley, Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Mingo, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Taylor, Tyler/Wetzel, Upshur, Wayne, and Wood counties.
Barbour County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Community Market, 107 South Main Street (across the street from Walgreens), Philippi, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVBBC)
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue, Junior, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Berkeley County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Airborne Church, 172 Creative Place, Martinsburg, WV
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Shenandoah Community Health, 99 Tavern Road, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 891 Auto Parts Place, Martinsburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Braxton County
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Braxton County Memorial Hospital (parking lot), 100 Hoylman Drive, Gassaway, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=Braxton)
Cabell County
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department (parking lot), 703 Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Clay County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Clay County Health Department, 452 Main Street, Clay, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVClayCounty)
Fayette County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Fayette County Health Department, 5495 Maple Lane, Fayetteville, WV
Gilmer County
7:45 AM - 2:45 PM, Minnie Hamilton Health System (parking lot), 921 Mineral Road, Glenville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMHCT11)
Greenbrier County
9:30 AM - 3:00 PM, State Fair of WV, 891 Maplewood Avenue, Lewisburg, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVGBC)
Jefferson County
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Hollywood Casino, 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Lewis County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, City Parking Lot, 95 West Second Street, Weston, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavLewis1)
Lincoln County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008 Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Logan County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Logan County Resource Center (Old 84 Lumber Building), 100 Peace Creek Road, Logan, WV
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Town of Man Fire Department, Administration Building, 110 North Bridge Street, Man, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Marion County
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Dunbar School Foundation, 101 High Street, Fairmont, WV
Marshall County
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Benwood City Building, 430 Main Street, Benwood, WV
Mason County
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Krodel Park, 1186 Charleston Road, Point Pleasant, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavCOUNTY12)
Mingo County
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Chattaroy Volunteer Fire Department, 8 Firefighter Avenue, Chattaroy, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMGC)
Morgan County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, The Blue (of First United Methodist Church), 440 Fearnow Road, Berkeley Springs, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavMorgan1)
Nicholas County
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Summersville Regional Medical Center, 400 Fairview Heights Road, Summersville, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVNL)
Ohio County
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Ohio Valley Medical Center (back parking lot at the top of 22nd Street), 2000 Eoff Street, Wheeling, WV
Raleigh County
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Beckley-Raleigh County Health Department, 1602 Harper Road, Beckley, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=MavBeckleyRaleigh)
Randolph County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Davis Health Center, 812 Gorman Avenue, Elkins, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVRDC)
Ritchie County
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional, 135 South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV
Taylor County
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Grafton-Taylor Health Department, 718 West Main Street (parking lot at Operations Trailer), Grafton, WV (optional pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Tyler/Wetzel Counties
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Sistersville Volunteer Fire Department, 121 Maple Lane, Sistersville, WV
Upshur County
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM, Buckhannon Fire Department (parking lot), 22 South Florida Street, Buckhannon, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVUSC)
Wayne County
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 Kenova Avenue, Wayne, WV (optional pre-registration: https://unityphr.com/campaigns/wvlabs/covid)
Wood County
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Vienna Baptist Church, 3401 Grand Central Avenue, Vienna, WV (optional pre-registration: https://labpass.com/en/registration?access_code=WVMavWood1)
Please check with the testing site, DHHRs social media pages and the COVID-19 website https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for any last minute cancellations, and to find other free testing opportunities across West Virginia.
May 9, 2022Updated: May 10, 2022 7:27a.m.
Dr Peter Hotez poses for a portrait in the Debakey Library and Museum at Baylor College of Medicine Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022 in Houston. Vaccine crusaders, Hotez and and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi have been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher. The pair has spent the past two years creating Corbevax, an inexpensive and easy-to-produce COVID-19 vaccine that does not require refrigeration.
Houston vaccine expert Peter Hotez has tested positive for COVID-19, the physician said Monday.
"Looks like I've tested positive for COVID, moderate symptoms of fatigue, headache, sore throat, isolating at home doing zoom meetings," he posted on Twitter. "I'm grateful to have been vaccinated/boosted, which certainly prevented more severe illness. Just started Paxlovid. Transmission up, be careful."
On HoustonChronicle.com: Peter Hotez: What hybrid COVID variants like XE mean for Houston and what's ahead this summer
Hotez is the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital.
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Hotez quickly became a prominent voice in local and national media. He has continued to chart infection rates in Texas and the U.S. His work stretches further, with other efforts focused on vaccinating people across the globe.
samantha.ketterer@houstonchronicle.com
Samantha Ketterer is a Houston Chronicle reporter covering state courts and criminal justice.
She joined the staff as a breaking news reporter in 2018 following a gig writing about tourism and Galveston City Hall for The Galveston County Daily News.
Samantha graduated from the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and is a proud alumna of The Daily Texan. She was also a reporting fellow for the Dallas Morning News' state bureau.
Bill Gates, who has donated millions to pandemic relief efforts, tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Tuesday.
Mr. Gates, 66, said on Twitter that he was isolating with mild symptoms and that he was vaccinated and boosted. It was not clear if this was the first time he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He also said that he would participate virtually in a meeting on Tuesday with people from his foundation.
In recent months, Mr. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world, has focused his considerable resources on the pandemic. He published a book last week called How to Prevent the Next Pandemic, in which he explains how countries could pull off a coordinated effort to avert pandemics and eliminate all respiratory diseases.
He has been outspoken about how the global health authorities should respond to the pandemic and distribute vaccines. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it has donated millions to organizations including Gavi and the World Health Organization to fund testing, treatments and vaccine distribution. (The Gateses divorced last year, but both expressed continued commitment to the foundation.)
In January, Mr. Gates said on Twitter that once Omicron goes through a country, the virus could be treated more like seasonal flu.
Situation Analysis
New cases, severe cases, ventilated cases and deaths have all shown a weekly decrease. The average number of new laboratory-confirmed (PCR positive) COVID-19 cases reported per day (8005) decreased by 35% in the past 7 days compared to the previous week (12,407). The average number of probable (ATK positive) cases reported per day over the last 7 also decreased by 24%
Bangkok continues to report the highest daily number of COVID cases (with a weekly average of 2,390) but reported a 7-day average decrease of 22.7% compared to the week before
The reduction in new cases has seen the average daily number of all currently 'active' COVID-19 cases (93,955) over the last seven days decrease by 35% compared to the previous week (which showed a decrease of 21%). Most cases continue to be monitored in hospitels, community isolation and home isolation. The average number of COVID cases occupying hospital beds per day over the past week (29,678) decreased by 21%
The weekly average number of daily deaths decreased by 45%. However, the daily average count of deaths remains high at 60. Although this is a significant drop from an average of 108 the week prior, most of these deaths would have been prevented if vaccination rates were higher The average daily number of severe COVID-19 cases over the past seven days (1,580) represented a decrease of 11% over the previous week (1,733).
The average daily number of ventilated COVID-19 cases over the past seven days (757) has decreased by 7.6% compared to the number the week before (827)
Although nationally new cases are decreasing, the policy of not confirming all probable cases by PCR testing, as well as the widespread use of rapid antigen tests (including those available 'over the counter' that may not be reported), continues to make it difficult to accurately monitor actual case counts. From the data reported, the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant is clear, with approximately half of all cases in Thailand reported in the last 4-months, when the Omicron variant started to dominate circulation
Vaccination in Thailand continues to significantly reduce levels of severe illness and deaths caused by circulating COVID-19 strains. High vaccination rates also help to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. The COVID-19 situation in Thailand is improving, but there remains a long way to reduce the burden of ventilated cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Thailand. Vaccination rates remain low in some provinces and some important risk groups.
Evaluation of mRNA-1273 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 6 to 11 Years of Age | NEJM nejm.org
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Bill Gates said on Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Microsoft cofounder announced his condition on Twitter, saying that he is experiencing mild symptoms and am following the experts advice by isolating until Im healthy again.
I'm fortunate to be vaccinated and boosted and have access to testing and great medical care, he added in a separate tweet.
He noted that the Gates Foundation, which he cofounded with his former spouse Melinda French Gates, was meeting in-person on Tuesday for the first time in two years, and I am lucky to be on Teams to see everyone and thank them for their hard work," referring to Microsoft's video conferencing service.
We will continue working with partners and do all we can to ensure none of us have to deal with a pandemic again, said Gates, who published a book this week titled, How to Prevent the Next Pandemic.
On Sunday, Gates, speaking on CNN, discussed how COVID-19 has led to an explosion of digital services, helping people and companies connect and interact with each other without having to be nearby. He believes that the increased use of digital tools will not subside after the COVID-19 pandemic, and will instead be permanent.
I think that is a very positive thing, Gates said during the interview. And the software involved is going to get a lot better. I wouldnt underestimate that accelerated digitization including in health and education substantially.
Earlier in May, Gates discussed with the BBC his association with many COVID-19 conspiracy theories, which sometimes results in people yelling at him on the street.
You almost have to laugh because its so crazy, Gates said.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
A recent study appearing in the journaleClinical Medicinesuggests that severe COVID-19 may be associated with persistent cognitive deficits, equivalent to a decline of 10 IQ points. In this study, severe COVID-19 was defined as COVID-19 that required hospitalization and critical care.
These cognitive deficits persisted until at least 6 months after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a gradual improvement, if any, in these cognitive symptoms. These results underscore the importance of longer-term support for patients who have recovered from severe COVID-19.
According to official data from 2020, which is the same year that this study drew its data from, about 4 in 10 adults over the age of 18 are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 in the United States.
A significant minority of individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 infection experience persistent cognitive symptoms following the initial 4 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Some of the common cognitive symptoms include problems with concentration, brain fog, memory, and executive function.
Although persistent cognitive symptoms are also observed in individuals with mild COVID-19, such deficits in cognitive function are more prevalent in individuals with severe COVID-19. Previous studies suggest that 36%76% of individuals with severe acute COVID-19 show cognitive deficits 6 months after illness onset.
However, further research is needed to understand the specific aspects of cognitive function that are affected after severe COVID-19 and the factors that predict these cognitive symptoms.
Previous studies characterizing persistent cognitive symptoms in COVID-19 patients have relied on self-reports, which are susceptible to bias. Other studies have used pen-and-paper neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive function.
However, these tests do not possess the sensitivity to detect small changes in cognitive function or distinguish the various domains or aspects of cognitive function impacted by a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
To address these concerns, the authors of the present study used computerized cognitive tests to objectively characterize specific domains of cognitive function impacted after severe acute COVID-19. These computerized tests also allowed the researchers to assess the magnitude of these cognitive deficits.
Individuals with COVID-19 also experience persistent mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which could contribute to the deficits in cognitive function.
Another objective of the present study was to determine whether these mental health symptoms mediate the persistent cognitive deficits in COVID-19 patients.
The present study involved 46 patients who were previously hospitalized for severe COVID-19 and received critical care in Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, England. The former COVID-19 patients completed a series of computerized cognitive tests during a return visit to the hospital, an average of 6 months after the onset of the illness.
The performance of the 46 participants on the cognitive tests was compared with that of 460 individuals in the control group. The individuals in the control group were not hospitalized for COVID-19 and were matched for age, sex, and education levels. The researchers also used self-reports to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
The researchers found that the COVID-19 patients had a lower score and a slower response time in the cognitive tests than the matched controls. People who had COVID-19 showed more pronounced deficits in specific domains of cognition, including processing speed, attention, memory, reasoning, and planning.
Notably, the deficits in cognitive function in the COVID-19 survivors were not associated with mental health symptoms present at the time of the cognitive testing, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Instead, the performance in the cognitive tests was correlated with the severity of acute illness. For instance, cognitive deficits were more pronounced in individuals who required mechanical ventilation.
The researchers then compared the performance of COVID-19 survivors with over 66,000 individuals from the general population.
The magnitude of cognitive impairment in COVID-19 survivors was equivalent to the age-related cognitive decline expected during the 20year period between the ages of 50 and 70 years.
The studys lead author Professor David Menon, head of the Division of Anaesthesia at the University of Cambridge, says: Cognitive impairment is common to a wide range of neurological disorders, including dementia, and even routine aging, but the patterns we saw the cognitive fingerprint of COVID-19 was distinct from all of these.
Dr. Betty Raman, a cardiologist at the University of Oxford, told Medical News Today, This prospective cohort study of 46 individuals recovering from severe COVID-19 and large normative reference population by Hampshire and colleagues has shown a clear association between severity of infection and degree of cognitive impairment.
This multidimensional characterization of cognition provides a nuanced understanding of distinct patterns of cognitive impairment during the convalescent phase of severe COVID-19. Future efforts are needed to understand how this pattern varies in the context of other post-infectious syndromes and critical illness.
The study found that these cognitive deficits persisted until 6-10 months after the onset of COVID-19, and there was only a gradual improvement, if any, in cognitive performance. The persistence of these cognitive deficits highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms underlying these symptoms.
Scientists have proposed multiple mechanisms, such as direct infection of the brain by SARS-CoV-2 and disruption of blood supply to the brain, to explain the persistent cognitive symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Among these mechanisms, systemic or whole-body inflammation has emerged as the leading candidate responsible for persistent cognitive symptoms.
Dr. Roger McIntyre, a professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto, told MNT, Inflammatory activation appears to be mediating these findings, highlighting the hazards of lengthy immune activation. The next steps are to unravel biological mechanisms more fully and identify prevention and treatment strategies.
Discussing major questions that need to be addressed, Dr. Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, said:
This study shows that these deficits can be substantial and persist more than 6 months after the acute illness. The results are convincing and important and raise further questions. For example, what happens following a less severe infection? How long do the deficits last? What causes them and, critically, how can they be treated or prevented?
Theres still much to learn about COVID-19 and its long-term effects on people who contract it.
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For about 80% of people who have a mild reaction to COVID-19, their symptoms go away in about two weeks. Others who have more serious cases need between three and six weeks to recover. One important area of study right now focuses on a third group known as COVID-19 long-haulers, people who experience new symptoms or prolonged symptoms more than three to four weeks after infection. COVID-19 long-haulers may need several months to recover, and even then, some symptoms and additional conditions like sleep disorders tend to pop up and linger along the way.
Sleep disorders are one of the most common symptoms for patients whove had COVID-19, says sleep medicine specialist Cinthya Pena Orbea, MD. They report insomnia, fatigue, brain fog and sometimes we even see circadian rhythm disorders.
Dr. Pena Orbea shares what we know so far about COVID-19s connection with sleep disorders and what we can do to help alleviate some of those symptoms.
Coined coronasomnia, COVID-19-induced insomnia is often attributed to pandemic-related stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.
Long-hauler symptoms is a new phase of the pandemic, says Dr. Pena Orbea. This is an area that were still studying.
While weve identified more than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19, some studies suggest neuropsychiatric symptoms like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and insomnia can worsen over time. And according to Dr. Pena Orbea, people whove had mental health conditions before contracting COVID-19 are at higher risk for developing worse anxiety and depression. This often results in someone developing a sleep disorder.
The direct cause for long-hauler symptoms remains unknown, says Dr. Pena Orbea. Clinicians and researchers are exploring several possibilities that include having a persistent inflammatory state or an inadequate antibody response, and theres another thought that there is ongoing viral activity thats causing organ damage.
And while general fatigue is a symptom of COVID-19, sleep disorders like insomnia can set in up to a couple of weeks after first contracting the virus. So on the surface, the sleep disorder might not seem connected, but chances are, its a result of contracting the virus itself.
Theres currently little data to determine exactly how long COVID-19-induced sleep disorders may last. According to Dr. Pena Orbea, it could last up to 12 months after beginning treatment.
Most commonly, Dr. Pena Orbea has seen circadian rhythm disorders arise as a result of COVID-19. In these cases, people have a delayed sleep cycle where they fall asleep much later into the evening or earlier in the morning. This delayed cycle extends into the following day, causing people to feel groggy, have chronic fatigue or wake up later than they prefer.
Sleep is extremely important for the overall function of our bodies, including our metabolic systems and our immune systems, explains Dr. Pena Orbea. Since sleep is important for concentration and memory function, it will enhance how patients recover from the disease and impact their quality of life.
To treat sleep disorders, including those caused by COVID-19, doctors often turn to cognitive behavioral therapy, light therapy, melatonin or a mixture of methods to help correct your sleep schedule and improve your sleep hygiene.
This can be a difficult question for some people because its easy to assume your loss of sleep is a result of a long day of work, moderate stress or a small, one-time problem. But Dr. Pena Orbea suggests any symptoms related to sleeplessness is a cause to get a checkup.
Its important to see your doctor whenever youre developing a new symptom because it could be a sign or symptom of another disease and this is difficult to discern, says Dr. Pena Orbea. If youre experiencing any symptoms that are interfering with your daily life, thats when you need to call your doctor.
