It’s been a month since Whatcom schools opened — what impact is COVID having?
Nearly one in three COVID-19 cases within Whatcom County has been among the county’s school-aged population since schools began opening their doors to students in early September.
The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the most recent age-group data on the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard found that there have been 567 COVID cases in residents 19 and younger over the four weeks between Aug. 29 and Sept. 25.
Of those, 333 residents (59%) were 11 and younger, meaning they were too young to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The first day of public school in Whatcom County was Sept. 1 or 2, depending on the district, while Lynden Christian students returned Aug. 31.
Lynden Christian on Tuesday, Sept. 28, sent an email to parents stating that it would be returning all classes to remote learning for two weeks due to a “high number” of COVID cases at the school. The move was made after the school board received notice that the Whatcom County Health Department intended to close the schools to in-person learning due to the outbreak.
According to the high school daily bulletin on Lynden Christian’s website, which was updated Thursday, Sept. 30, the school hopes to return to campus on Wednesday, Oct. 13.
“We are deeply concerned about the number of cases within the school,” a school release Thursday stated. “The health and well-being of our students, their families, our staff, and our community is of great concern. ... It is unfortunate that we are at this point, but together as a school community, we will get through this and back to in-person Christian education.”
Though Lynden Christian is the only Whatcom County school to return to remote learning, so far, it is not the only one to see COVID cases this fall.
As of Friday, school district COVID-19 dashboards for Bellingham, Blaine, Meridian and Mount Baker had reported 42, 69, 13 and 14 cases, respectively, so far this school year among students and faculty, while the Ferndale School District’s dashboard reported that there have been 10 positive tests among students and staff in the past week, including nine that were on campus during their infectious period.
The COVID dashboard for the Lynden School District has not been updated this school year, while COVID case information could not be found on the websites for the Nooksack Valley School District.
Since the first week of school, Whatcom residents 19 and younger have averaged about 142 cases per week, according to The Herald’s analysis.
Based on 2019 U.S. Census estimates, that works out to approximately 270 cases per week per 100,000 residents 19 and younger — the highest weekly infection rate for any age group within the county over that four-week period.
The 142 cases per week among residents 19 and younger is also nearly quadruple the 36 cases per week (an infection rate of 69 cases per 100,000 residents) that age group averaged during the first 78 weeks since Whatcom County saw its first confirmed case in March of 2020.
Though the county’s youngest age group saw the highest weekly infection rate between Aug. 29 and Sept. 25, The Herald’s analysis showed every other age group in Whatcom County also has seen a large increase the past four weeks, as the county just wrapped up its worst month of the pandemic:
▪ 20-34 age group: 477 total cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 and a weekly infection rate of 224 per 100,000 residents, up from an average rate of 88 the first 78 weeks of the pandemic.
▪ 35-49 age group: 418 total cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 and a weekly infection rate of 252 per 100,000 residents, up from an average rate of 82 the first 78 weeks of the pandemic.
▪ 50-64 age group: 274 total cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 and a weekly infection rate of 172 per 100,000 residents, up from an average rate of 65 the first 78 weeks of the pandemic.
▪ 65-79 age group: 219 total cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 and a weekly infection rate of 167 per 100,000 residents, up from an average rate of 33 the first 78 weeks of the pandemic.
▪ 80 and older age group: 59 total cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 25 and a weekly infection rate of 169 per 100,000 residents, up from an average rate of 56 the first 78 weeks of the pandemic.
Despite the high number of cases among Whatcom’s youngest residents in the past four weeks, none have resulted in hospitalization or death, according to the state’s data. In fact, Whatcom has not seen a COVID-related death of any residents younger than 20 during the pandemic, and only 19 COVID-related hospitalizations have been seen so far.
Nearly 70% of all COVID-related hospitalizations (374 of 694 total) and 95% of all COVID-related deaths (127 of 134 total) throughout the pandemic through Sept. 25 have been among residents 50 and older.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
