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ELKINS -- Local health officials are urging the public to continue to take extra precautions against the spread of COVID-19 even after they've received a vaccination for the coronavirus, as Randolph County has hit a high mark for active COVID-19 cases.
Many may believe that once they receive an inoculation for COVID-19, they can live carefree with no worries of being infected thereafter. But experts were quick to point out during Monday's Randolph County Office of Emergency Management COVID-19 update conference call that is simply not the case.
"You can still be infected even after you've received a vaccination for COVID-19," said Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph Elkins Health Department's infectious disease specialist. "If you've had a vaccination and you're exposed you will still be infected, especially after only receiving the first dose. The full effect of the vaccine is supposed to take place two weeks after the second dose."
But even after receiving both vaccinations, a person can still catch the virus. The vaccination isn't made to keep people from contracting COVID-19, but is administered to lessen the effects on the body once one does get the virus, officials said
"The vaccine does not prevent you from getting COVID," said Davis Medical Center Liaison Officer Hollis Lipscomb. "It helps your body to recognize it and fight it when you do get it. So everybody needs to take the same precautions we are taking now. When the virus enters the body, the vaccine gives the immune system the ability to recognize it and start building the ability to fight it off."
Woodrum confirmed that two of the county's nursing homes and the one official assisted living center for seniors have received Moderna vaccinations for residents and staff. The third nursing home in the county received the Pfizer vaccine in December.
The county received another vaccine shipment on Monday and Woodrum hopes to receive another supply some time this week.
"We just received the batch today that is for the remaining first responders," she said. "We have not heard when we will get the Week 3 shipment, but we're hoping it will be tomorrow. It will be the batch that was supposed to come last week and is the second dose for the first responders."
Randolph County's active case numbers have hit an all-time high this week, surging from 165 last week to 234. The significant jump, coupled with an expected surge from New Year's gatherings, has officials worried about what may lie ahead.
"I'm very concerned about the upcoming week," said Woodrum. "I wish people would realize how far-reaching their own activities can spread, it's like a ripple effect. They might not be a great risk themselves, but look how far it can spread. The federal people are predicting that it's going to get much worse before it gets better."
There are currently 27,362 active COVID-19 cases in the state of West Virginia, including 828 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to information from the state government. The virus has claimed the lives of 1,396 individuals in the Mountain State.
Lipscomb said a few Davis Medical Center staff members are off work due to COVID-related issues and that 11 patients are currently hospitalized at DMC with the coronavirus.
"We are able to maintain all of our services," Lipscomb said. "We are near capacity as far as inpatient services go. Pretty much everybody in the state and in the surrounding states are either near, or at capacity. So transferring somebody out is really not an option right now."