Whatcom sees another decrease in its pandemic COVID-19 case total, but adds a death Friday
For the second straight report by the state, Whatcom County’s pandemic total of COVID-19 cases was reduced on Friday, but its COVID-related death total increased by one.
The county now has had 36,176 total COVID cases (confirmed and probable combined) during the pandemic — a decrease of 64 from Wednesday’s report, which included a reduction of eight cases — according to the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard on Friday, Feb. 18.
The Department of Health has made adjustments to COVID data throughout the pandemic, as more information becomes available.
Whatcom’s pandemic total of COVID-related deaths, meanwhile, increased to 260, the state reported.
The death reported Friday was for a person who first tested positive for COVID on Feb. 11, The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of the state’s epidemiological data showed, which was the second death epidemiologically linked to February.
Since Dec. 19, which is approximately when Whatcom County began to see the omicron surge, there have been 46 epidemiological deaths, The Herald found.
With 13,832 total cases (confirmed and probable combined) in the county since Dec. 19 Whatcom has seen 0.3% of cases during that time frame result in death, The Herald’s analysis showed. That is better than the county’s total pandemic death average of 0.7% of cases.
No other information about the person whose deaths was reported Friday, such as their age, gender, vaccination status or hometown, was reported.
Through data reported by the Whatcom County Health Department Friday, Feb. 18, 88% of the first 257 COVID-related deaths in the county were in residents 60 and older, including 123 deaths in residents 80 and older. Though the county has not seen any deaths of people younger than 30, the data shows, the deaths of five residents in their 30s and 14 residents in their 40s have been linked to COVID-19.
The Herald’s analysis of data reported weekly by the county and last updated Feb. 11 shows that between Dec. 19 and Feb. 5, 60% of Whatcom’s 45 reported deaths (27 deaths) have been among residents who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Other Whatcom numbers
The latest report on the state dashboard, which is now only updated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, also shows Whatcom County has:
▪ 31,729 confirmed cases during the pandemic — down seven from the last report.
▪ 4,447 additional probable COVID cases during the pandemic — down 57 from the last report — resulting from positive antigen tests not confirmed by a molecular test.
▪ A weekly infection rate of 629 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 — down from 894 one week earlier (Jan. 23-29) and the lowest mark the county has seen since it had a rate of 612 Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
▪ 1,419 COVID-related hospitalizations during the pandemic — up five from the last report.
▪ St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham reported it was treating 30 patients with COVID-related symptoms on Friday, which was unchanged from its last report.
▪ A weekly COVID-related hospitalization rate of 26.8 patients per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological hospitalization data from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 — up from 22.4 from a week earlier (Jan. 23-29).
▪ 348,103 total tests (molecular and antigen combined). The state reported that an “unexpected delay” has once again pushed back the resumption of its reporting of testing data until approximately Feb. 28.
▪ 365,546 vaccinations administered during the pandemic — up 454 from the last report. The state reports 74.2% of Whatcom County’s total population has initiated vaccination and 67.6% has completed it. The state also reports Whatcom has administered 83,752 “additional doses,” which includes third doses for immunocompromised residents and booster doses, have been administered.
Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data Tracker Friday listed Whatcom’s level of transmission as “High” — the highest of four categories. All of the 39 counties in Washington state and 95% of counties nationwide also were listed in the “High” transmission category.
The CDC also estimates that 52.7% of Whatcom County’s fully-vaccinated population has received a booster dose.
The state will not update COVID data Monday, Feb. 21, in honor of the President’s Day holiday.
This story was originally published February 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
