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Editor’s note: This story has been corrected following percentage errors in the new cases in several counties.
By STEVEN ALLEN ADAMS
For the Intelligencer
CHARLESTON -- COVID-19 cases and deaths took a dramatic jump over the last two weeks in West Virginia, according to the latest data from the Department of Health and Human Resources.
According to the department's Coronavirus Dashboard, the number of positive cases over a 14-day period between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8 was 6,462, a 59-percent increase compared to 4,061 cases during the prior 14-day period. The total of test results over the same 14-day period was 119,982, a 22-percent increase in testing compared to 98,223 test results between Oct. 12. through Oct. 25.
As of Tuesday, the most recent data available, the state reported 511 new cases in a 24-hour period. West Virginia's daily percent of positive cases was 4.86 percent, and the cumulative percent of positive cases continues to increase, sitting at 3.07 percent.
Deaths attributed to COVID-19 have increased with 16 deaths reported to DHHR Tuesday, the highest number since the pandemic started and the highest number since 14 deaths reported Sunday. The state reported 546 total COVID-19 deaths as of Tuesday.
Seventy-nine deaths were reported between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8, a 93 percent increase compared to 41 deaths the previous 14 days.
State officials added an additional 27 COVID-19 deaths to the overall total Monday due to how some hospitals and nursing homes were reporting deaths to DHHR. State health officials only found out about the additional COVD-19 deaths once the death certificates came back.
West Virginia's Rt number, the rate that shows how quickly the virus is spreading in the community – has stayed mostly stable the last two weeks.
The state Rt number as of Tuesday was 1.12.
The state's Rt number was the 20th best rate in the nation, though all states except two were in the red for having Rt numbers higher than 1. Any Rt value below 1 means the growth of the virus is slowing, while numbers above 1 mean the virus is spreading.
Active COVID-19 cases, the number of infected people in self-quarantine or hospitalized, was 6,974 cases as of Monday, a 26 percent increase from 5,557 active cases seven days ago and a 39 percent increase from 5,031 active cases 14 days ago. All 55 counties have active cases for the third week in a row. Active cases have increased in 42 out of 55 counties, up from 32 counties last week.
Wood County active cases increased 100 percent from last week, from 232 to 463. Pleasants County active cases increased 50 percent from 12 to 18. In the Ohio Valley, Marshall County saw a 69 percent increase in cases from 160 to 270. Tyler County active cases increased by 41 percent from 34 to 48. Ohio County cases increased by 33 percent from 157 to 209. In the Potomac Highlands, Randolph County active cases increased by 60 percent from 38 to 61. In the Eastern Panhandle, Jefferson County cases jumped by 73 percent from 115 to 199.
Hospitalizations showed a slight decrease between Monday and Tuesday. There were 280 hospitalizations as of Tuesday, down from 290 hospitalizations Monday, though still up from 271 hospitalizations last Monday. The average number of hospitalizations between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8 increased by 36 percent over the average number of hospitalizations the previous 14 days. The number of infected people in intensive care units was 85, up slightly from 74 last week, and 29 people are on ventilators, down from 33 people last week.