Whatcom receives ‘really, really encouraging’ sign that COVID vaccination efforts working
Whatcom County already may be beginning to see the fruits of its COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
Over the last two weeks that data is available (the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7), the county’s residents 65 and older have contracted only 22 cases of COVID-19, according to data published on the Washington State Department of Health’s dashboard. That equates to 5.8% of the total 378 cases reported during the same time frame and an infection rate of 52.5 per 100,000 residents.
For comparison, the two previous weeks (the weeks of Feb. 14 and 21), residents 65 and older accounted for 59 cases, which represented 11.2% of the county’s total cases, which is pretty close to the 11.4% those age groups represent of Whatcom’s pandemic case total. It also translates to an infection rate of 140.8.
“While we see case rates remain level in most age groups, Whatcom County residents over the age of 65 have declined steadily over the last two weeks,” Whatcom County Health Department Director Erika Lautenbach said during an online briefing Wednesday, March 17. “The 14-day average is now 50 per 100,000.
“That decline is likely reflective of the early vaccination impacts and just really, really encouraging to see that those who are at most risk for severe illness and death have had much lower case rates.”
The first vaccine doses were administered in Whatcom County three months ago on Dec. 18, and as of Monday, March 15, the state reports 58,577 doses have been administered in the county.
Less encouraging, Lautenbach said, was an increase in the number of cases seen among the county’s 18- to 25-year-olds — “something we are continuing to track.”
The state releases weekly age-range data for counties’ COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths on its dashboard on Mondays. Here is what the latest data shows for Whatcom County:
0-19 age group: The age group saw 100 new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 190.5 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 52,497 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 1,626 cases (22.7% of the county’s total cases) resulting in nine hospitalizations and no deaths. That means 0.6% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization.
20-34 age group: The age group saw 104 new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 195.7 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 53,145 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 2,056 cases (28.7% of the county’s total cases) resulting in 26 hospitalizations and no deaths. That means 1.3% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization.
35-49 age group: The age group saw 90 new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 216.0 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 41,672 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 1,504 cases (21.0% of the county’s total cases) resulting in 46 hospitalizations and one death. That means 3.1% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization and 0.1% have resulted in deaths.
50-64 age group: The age group saw 62 new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 154.9 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 40,037 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 1,171 cases (16.3% of the county’s total cases) resulting in 76 hospitalizations and nine deaths. That means 6.5% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization and 0.8% have resulted in deaths.
65-79 age group: The age group saw 14 new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 42.4 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 33,010 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 567 cases (7.9% of the county’s total cases) resulting in 86 hospitalizations and 17 deaths. That means 15.2% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization and 3.0% have resulted in deaths.
80 and older age group: The age group saw eight new cases reported the weeks of Feb. 28 and March 7, giving it a two-week infection rate of 90.0 per 100,000 residents based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates for the age group of 8,886 residents. During the pandemic, the age group has seen 247 cases (3.4% of the county’s total cases) resulting in 69 hospitalizations and 58 deaths. That means 27.9% of all cases in the age group have resulted in hospitalization and 23.5% have resulted in deaths.
Overall, according to the data in the latest report, 4.4% of Whatcom County’s cases during the pandemic have resulted in hospitalization and 1.2% in death.
