Latest data shows COVID hitting this segment of Whatcom’s population significantly hard
COVID-19 hit Whatcom County’s Native American and Alaska Native population substantially harder than any other race the past two weeks, as the number of confirmed cases among people identifying with that demographic grew by nearly 20%.
The Whatcom County Health Department on Tuesday updated data through Monday, Feb. 22, showing how COVID-19 has impacted eight different race/ethnic groups within Whatcom County.
The data showed that 8.1% of Whatcom County’s cases as of Tuesday were among people identifying as either Native American or Alaska Native — a segment that makes up 2.5% of Whatcom’s total population. That’s up from the 7.3% of cases reported just two weeks earlier on Feb. 9, which included data through Feb. 8.
The numbers reported by Whatcom County’s two largest Native American tribes certainly support that health department’s data. The Lummi Tribal Health Center reported 74 cases between Feb. 8 and 21 (19.9% growth from 371 cases to 445), while the Nooksack Indian Tribe reported eight new cases between Feb. 8 and 22 (15.1% growth from 53 cases to 61).
The only other segment that saw its percentage of cases increase over that period was people identifying as multi-racial, which grew from 2.7% of Whatcom’s total COVID cases of Feb. 8 to 2.8% in Tuesday’s report.
Conversely, those identifying as white and Hispanic saw their percentage of Whatcom’s total COVID caseload decrease in the past two weeks.
The Whatcom County Health Department breaks down the percentage of cases each of eight race or ethnicity groups represent in Whatcom’s total count. The Bellingham Herald uses those percentages and the county’s total number of cases to estimate the number of cases each race or ethnicity has seen during the pandemic.
The Herald asked Whatcom Unified Command if it had a breakdown of vaccinations by race and ethnicity, but was told the county does not have that data and that it is waiting for the Washington State Department of Health to make changes to the Washington State Immunization Information System to make that data available.
Here is what the latest race and ethnicity data, which is through Feb. 22, shows for the county:
▪ Overall: The number of COVID-19 cases reported in the county increased by 7.7% (456 cases) between Feb. 8 and Feb. 22, according to the state Department of Health. Race or ethnicity was not known or recorded in 21% of Whatcom’s COVID cases (or approximately 1,331 cases).
▪ White, non-Hispanic: 60.9% of total cases where race is known, down from 61.3% on Feb. 8 (people identifying as white represent 78.7% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 3,050 COVID-19 cases have been in people who identify as white — a 7.0% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 2,849 cases.
▪ Hispanic: 23.0% of total cases where race is known, down from 23.4% on Feb. 8 (people identifying as Hispanic represent 9.5% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 1,152 COVID-19 cases have been in people who identify as Hispanic — a 5.9% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 1,088 cases.
▪ American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 8.1% of total cases where race is known, up from 7.3% on Feb. 8 (people identifying as American Indian or Alaska native represent 2.5% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 406 COVID-19 cases have been in people who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native— a 19.6% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 339 cases.
▪ Multiracial, non-Hispanic: 2.8% of total cases where race is known, up from 2.7% on Feb. 8 (people identifying as multiracial represent 3.6% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 140 COVID-19 cases have been in people who identify as multiracial — an 11.7% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 126 cases.
▪ Asian, non-Hispanic: 2.5% of total cases where race is known, unchanged from Feb. 8 (people identifying as Asian represent 4.3% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 125 cases are in people who identify as Asian — a 7.7% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 116 cases.
▪ Black, non-Hispanic: 0.9% of total cases where race is known, unchanged from Feb. 8 (people identifying as Black represent 1.0% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 45 COVID-19 cases are in people who identify as Black — a 7.7% increase from the Feb. 8 estimate of 42 cases.
▪ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0.7% of total cases where race is known, unchanged from Feb. 8 (people identifying as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander represent 0.3% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 35 cases are in people who identify as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander — a 7.7% increase from the Feb. 8 estimate of 33 cases.
▪ Other race, non-Hispanic: 1.1% of total cases where race is known, unchanged from Feb. 8 (people identifying as some other race or ethnicity represent 0.0% of Whatcom’s total population). Using that percentage, The Herald estimates 55 cases are in people who identify as a race or ethnicity other than the seven listed above — a 7.7% increase over the Feb. 8 estimate of 51 cases.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
