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ELKINS -- State officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the new wave of COVID-19 cases sweeping through the state, in particular the quick rise of the BA.5 variant.
The active case count in West Virginia topped the 3,000 mark on Friday as the Department of Health and Human Resources database reported that there were 3,002 COVID cases statewide. That is the highest number of active cases in the state since late February, and is 1,000 more than last month at this time.
Most of the cases being reported now are the BA.5 variant, which is already making up more than 70 percent of the cases nationwide.
Dr. Clay Marsh, the state's COVID-19 czar, talked Thursday, during Gov. Jim Justice's coronavirus briefing, about a sequencing assessment from West Virginia University and Marshall University. The report showed that, from the last week of June to the first week in July, confirmed cases in the state of the BA.5 variant climbed from 1 percent to 33 percent.
"We know that the BA.5 variant, by far now, is the most infectious variant seen to date," Marsh said during the briefing. "We know that it also has the ability to re-infect people who have been infected previously with other forms of COVID-19. It's really important that we stay vigilant and we know that BA.5 is growing in West Virginia. It's important, given how infectious that it is, for us to take precautions."
As of Thursday, there were 330 residents hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Mountain State. Thirty-nine of those patients are in intensive care, with five on ventilators. In late April, the number of patients hospitalized had shrunk to 77.
Marsh said data from other countries shows an increase in hospitalizations and deaths in those countries with older populations. He said that being up to date on vaccinations, especially for those 50 and over, can reduce the risk of dying from the variant by 42 times.
Active case numbers are also on the rise locally. According to the DHHR, Upshur County tallied the highest number among area counties on Friday with 46 active cases. Barbour County followed with 22 and Randolph County was third on the list with 19. Pocahontas County had 18 active cases and Tucker County had 9.
Kanawha topped the list of counties in West Virginia with a state-high 294 cases. It was followed by Raleigh County (191), Cabell County (154), Berkeley County (153) and Wood County (147).