Three Rivers Health District
(Editor’s note: As of Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Public Health reported 1,877 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Middlesex County, 47 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 48 COVID-19 deaths involving Middlesex residents. The Virginia Department of Public Health cautions that because of limited testing, the actual number of cases in Middlesex County is likely higher than reported.)
COVID-19 is gaining ground both across the United States and locally and some are predicting large fall and winter surges. This is the situation as the nationwide total COVID-19 death toll passed the one million mark this week.
A sub-lineage of the BA.2 variant, BA.2.12.1, continues to increase cases across the Northeast United States and in our region. The BA.2.12.1 variant currently comprises 48% of cases in the region where Virginia is located, with the BA.2 variant making up 52%.
Disease expression is mild for most people who become infected with COVID-19, but hospitalizations continue to increase as cases rise, especially among people older than 55.
Vaccination remains our most powerful tool to limit COVID-19 infection and severe disease. Please visit http://vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA to find COVID-19 vaccination opportunities near you.
(Richard Williams is the director of Three Rivers Health District of the Virginia Department of Health. The district includes Middlesex County. Williams’ email address is richard.williams@vdh.virginia.gov.)
