ELKINS — With active COVID-19 case numbers continuing to rise locally and across West Virginia, health officials are becoming increasingly concerned with the direction the virus is headed.

“Our biggest concern is that we really don’t know how many cases are really out there,” Bonnie Woodrum, the Randolph-Elkins Health Department’s infectious disease specialist, told The Inter-Mountain Monday. “There is no telling how many people are doing home tests because we don’t get those reports at all. Also there is no telling how many people with slight symptoms aren’t testing at all.”

According to the Randolph-Elkins Health Department, there were 154 active COVID-19 cases in Randolph County on Monday. Woodrum, however, is confident the actual number of cases is much higher throughout the county.

“We’ve had 84 active cases alone come in over the last five days,” Woodrum said. “And we know that we are not getting a big percentage of the ones that are out there because of home tests and other reasons.”

Woodrum said another area of concern is that it’s very likely there are local people who have COVID-19 symptoms, but think it’s just seasonal allergies or a common cold, when in fact they do have the coronavirus and are spreading it to others.

“There are many people who are getting cold and allergy-like symptoms who have COVID,” Woodrum said. “And you have a lot of people who are not testing at all because their symptoms are slight. If people are having sinus problems and allergy problems they need to be aware that it might be COVID.”

Woodrum said there are currently some facility outbreaks in the county and that people need to start taking extra precautions to protect those who are more vulnerable.

“If anybody has cold, sinus or allergy symptoms they need to take precautions until they are tested,” she said. “People need to be really careful about exposing others if they have any of those symptoms. Especially if they are around people who might be immunosuppressed.”

On Monday, there were 2,547 active cases in the Mountain State, which is 363 more than the 2,184 reported on May 13. Exactly one month ago on May 6, there were 1,114 active cases statewide, or 1,433 less than reported on on Monday.

According to the Department of Health and Human Resources database, there are currently 32 active cases in Upshur County and 13 in Barbour County. It shows Pocahontas County with two and Tucker County with one. Kanawha County currently has the most active cases in the state with 299.

Free PCR testing is still being offered at the Davis Medical Center drive-thru on Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Local pharmacies are also offering testing by appointment only.