Whatcom County continuing to see more ‘breakthrough’ COVID cases and deaths
Nearly a third of all COVID-19 cases in Whatcom County during the final full week of August were among fully vaccinated residents, according to data released late last week, but infection rates still remain nearly four times higher among residents who are not fully vaccinated.
Between Aug. 22 and 28, Whatcom County saw 187 “breakthrough” COVID cases — or positive tests in people deemed to be fully vaccinated — according to data released Friday, Sept. 3, by the Whatcom County Health Department.
Those 187 cases represent 29.8% of the 628 total cases seen that week, according to the county’s data, up from 147 “breakthrough” cases representing 26.3% of all cases the week before.
But with 441 cases among residents who were not fully vaccinated between Aug. 22 and 28, the seven-day infection rate among residents who are not fully vaccinated that week was 479 cases per 100,000 residents, the county reported, compared to a weekly rate of 124 cases per 100,000 fully vaccinated residents.
The health department also reported one COVID-related hospitalization and two COVID-related deaths from Aug. 22 to 28 among fully vaccinated residents. Both vaccinated people who died were women over the age of 80.
For comparison, there were 17 hospitalizations and two additional deaths related to COVID that week in residents that were not fully vaccinated, according to the health department, with both people who died being men between the ages of 50 and 69.
According to the Washington State Department of Health COVID Dashboard, 132,760 residents in Whatcom County had received a full vaccination cycle as of Sept. 1, which represents 58.2% of the county’s total population.
The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of Whatcom County Health Department data provided Friday and in a previous report the week before shows:
▪ There have been 686 “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases since Feb. 1, which represents 10.3% of the 6,671 total cases the state’s epidemiological curves show the county has had since that date.
▪ There have been 28 COVID-related hospitalizations in people who were fully vaccinated since Feb. 1, which represents 8.9% of the county’s 314 total hospitalizations shown on the state’s epidemiological curves since that date.
▪ There have been seven COVID-related deaths in people who were fully vaccinated since Feb. 1, which represent 19.4% of the 36 total deaths shown on the state’s epidemiological curves since that date.
The county health department also reported that approximately 98% of the most recent specimens that have been sequenced for COVID variants have shown the delta variant. That is in line with the 98.4% sequenced statewide between Aug. 1 and 14 that detected the delta variant.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Whatcom County continuing to see more ‘breakthrough’ COVID cases and deaths."
