VDH: COVID cases increase, 11 deaths so far in August

Submitted by tim on Fri, 08/26/2022 - 07:43

Source: Kavet, Rockler & Associates, LLC. Economic and Public Policy Consulting. Williamstown, Vermont. July 2022

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported August 24 that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are still considered "Low." Total cases for the week increased to over 500. However, hospitalizations decreased to 30 from 50 the previous week. The BA.5 variant has become the predominant variant of COVID-19. As of August 23, there have been 11 COVID-related fatalities in August in Vermont, for a pandemic total of 707 (the VDH report could be updated as more data becomes available). Vermont now has the lowest COVID death rate in the nation, at 112 per 100,000 population. There were 12 deaths from COVID in Vermont in both June and July. June and July had the fewest COVID fatalities since July 2021 (2). The Delta variant then took off in August 2021.

Vermonters are reminded that all state COVID testing sites were closed as of June 25. PCR and take-home tests will be available through doctors' offices, pharmacies and via mail from the federal government. See more information BELOW or here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing

Report Timeframe: August 14 to August 20, 2022
Statewide community levels: Low. For this seven-day reporting period, the rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Vermonters is below 200. New COVID-19 admissions are below 10 per 100,000 Vermonters per day, and the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 is below 10%.
• New COVID-19 cases, last 7 days: 82.85 per 100K (increased from previous week, 72.28 per 100k)
o Weekly Case Count: 517 (increased from previous week, 451)
• New hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19, last 7 days: 4.81 per 100K (decreased from previous week, 8.01)
o 30 total new admissions with COVID-19 (decreased from previous week, 50)
• Percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with COVID-19 (7-day average): 2.44% (decreased from previous week, 2.45%)

Vermont Department of Health recommendations: Protect Yourself & Others

CDC recommendations: COVID-19 by County | CDC

There were 49 COVID-19 related fatalities in Vermont in September 2021, and 47 deaths in October, which are the fifth- and sixth-worst months on record. There were 42 fatalities in November, 62 in December, and 65 in January 2022, 59 in February, 17 in March, 19 in April and 32 in May, as fatalities rose early in the month before falling off. There were 12 deaths in June and 12 in July. There have been 11 COVID-related fatalities so far in Vermont in August.

The Delta variant caused a surge in COVID-related fatalities last fall and into the winter. More than half of all deaths overall have been of Vermonters 80 or over.

While the highest concentration of deaths was from September 2021 through February 2022, December 2020 was the worst month with 71.

Vermont has the lowest fatality rate in the US (112 per 100K), recently surpassing Hawaii (113/K). Mississippi (428/K) and Arizona (425/K) are the highest. There has been a total of 1,028,677 COVID-related deaths to date in the US.

Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, has said the BA.5 variant is highly transmissible and has caused an uptick in cases and hospitalizations across the nation; the Northeast has seen the smallest increase.

Dr Levine has said that reconfigured vaccines and boosters would become available before next winter to address the highly infectious, though less dangerous, BA.4 and BA.5 variants. He added that vaccines for the COVID virus would likely be an annual event, similar to how there is an annual flu shot that is configured for the particular active strains.

Hospitalizations Over Time

The seven-day rolling average of hospital patients admitted with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection peaked in January 2022 and increased again throughout April and into early May. During June and July this number fluctuated. After several weeks of decline, the number of daily COVID-19-positive admissions has varied between three and seven since early June. The number is the daily average of the previous seven days; for example, the value for May 28 is the daily average for the days of May 21 through May 27.

Variant Surveillance
Vermont-specific variant data are not available for this week’s report.
• National and regional (Vermont is within Region 1) variant data: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions
Wastewater Surveillance
Detailed wastewater indicators are not available for this week’s report. Vermont-specific data can be found at the following sites:
• National wastewater surveillance: CDC COVID Data Tracker: Wastewater Surveillance
• Burlington Wastewater: Burlington’s SARS-CoV2 Wastewater Monitoring Program | City of Burlington, Vermont (burlingtonvt.gov)

TESTING

report self-test results

How to get tested in Vermont

At-home antigen tests (also called rapid tests or self-tests) meet many testing needs and are widely available at pharmacies around the state and at online retailers.

Buy online or in pharmacies and retail stores: Some health insurance plans can cover the cost of at-home tests. You may be able to show your insurance card at the pharmacy and get test kits at no cost to you. Some health plans may require you to pay for the tests and then be reimbursed. Learn more about insurance coverage
Order free tests through COVID.gov: Every home in the U.S. can order a third round of FREE at-home tests mailed directly to them. Order free tests at COVID.gov
Contact your health care provider: Medical practices may offer other COVID-19 testing options.

HELP Getting Tests

If you cannot get at-home antigen tests from the options above, you can call the Health Department at 802-863-7200, or check with your local health office.

Non-profit community organizations may qualify for free at-home tests by mail if they work with Vermonters who may have difficulty getting tests due to overall systemic inequities. This includes Vermonters who are Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC), speak languages other than English, are experiencing homelessness, have a disability or other groups. Please email [email protected].

Food shelves, libraries, and municipal offices who are interested in distributing COVID-19 at-home tests in their community can also email [email protected].

If you are homebound, you can get a PCR test in your home. Homebound means you are not able to leave your home for scheduled medical care or non-medical appointments. Call 802-863-7200 (toll-free 800-464-4343), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

TEST KIT EXPIRATION DATES

Many test expiration dates have been extended. Check information below for new dates by brand:

FDA information on tests.
Check Intrivo on/go tests.
Check iHealth tests.
Check FlowFlex tests.

When to get Tested

If you have symptoms of COVID-19 ─ even if the symptoms are mild, and even if you previously had COVID-19. Test as soon as possible.
If you are a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and you are not vaccinated or not up to date on your vaccines. Learn more about when close contacts should get tested.

If you test positive and you are age 65 or older or have a medical condition that may put you at risk, reach out to your health care provider to ask about treatment — as soon as you get a positive test result. Learn more about treatment.

Find tips and learn more from the CDC about self-testing

Learn about Test Types

At-home antigen test

Is approved for ages 2 and older.
Best when two tests are taken at least 24 hours apart.
Should be used if you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days. Other test types, such as PCR, could continue to give a positive result because of your previous infection.

PCR test

Is approved for all ages, including under 2 years.
May be available through your physician's office.

Test instructions and translations

Report Your Results

If there is no option to automatically report your self-test result, please report results (positive or negative) to the Health Department using our online form. Your response is confidential, and reporting your test result helps the Health Department understand how many Vermonters are being tested for COVID-19 and how the virus is spreading in our communities.

Report your COVID-19 test results

IFrame