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Active Virus Cases In W.Va. Dip To Lowest Levels In 13 Months

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Active coronavirus cases in West Virginia have dipped to their lowest levels in 13 months, health officials said Monday.

There were 1,467 active COVID-19 cases statewide as of Sunday, dipping below 1,500 for the first time since May 18, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Resources said in a daily update.

According to the state COVID-19 dashboard, the number of confirmed daily cases has surpassed 100 once since May 29 and only once above 50 confirmed cases since June 16.

About 63% of residents ages 12 and up have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and about 53% are fully vaccinated.

The state also reported there have been nearly 2,500 total cases involving variants of the virus, including 492 cases in Berkeley and 163 in Jefferson counties in the Eastern Panhandle not far from Washington, D.C. Monongalia County, home of West Virginia University, has seen 370 such cases.

Viruses constantly mutate, and most changes aren’t concerning. There is a worry that some variants might evolve enough to be more contagious, cause more severe illness or evade the protection that vaccines provide.

The virus has caused 2,878 deaths in West Virginia, including two reported on Monday.