Roanoke, Virginia – For months, health experts have been saying that the country won’t face another COVID-19 wave this winter like last year or the year before. However, that didn’t mean that the number of COVID-19 cases would remain relatively low, similar to the numbers we have been seeing for months during the spring and summer months.
Colder temperatures and lower humidity levels can create conditions that are more favorable for the spread of respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. When the air is dry, viruses can survive for longer periods of time on surfaces and in the air, increasing the chances of transmission. In addition, people tend to spend more time indoors during the winter months, especially for the holidays, which leads to an increase in the number of close contacts and the potential for the virus to spread.
The number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise both nationally and in Virginia, and according to the latest data provided by the Virginia Department of Health, the average number of cases for the week until Monday is 17.37% higher than the previous seven-day period. VDH said that there have been a total of 15,247 for the 7-day period until Monday this week, or 2,178 newly reported cases a day on average, while Virginia averaged 1,856 newly reported cases a day the week before.
Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, there have been a total of 2,195,634 cases of the coronavirus across the Commonwealth, while the number of deaths reached 22,659.
The department additionally said that 6,320,421 Virginians are fully vaccinated with at least two doses of the vaccines or with one dose of the single-dose vaccines, making up 73.6% of the state’s population. In addition, VDH data shows that more than 5 million booster doses have been administered since vaccines were rolled out.
Although the increase in cases is significant, health experts are not worried that the situation will get out of control due to the high level of vaccinated people across the state. It’s important to continue taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, and practicing social distancing where possible.
In the upcoming weeks, the flu season is expected to reach its peak, with more cases being added every day, so everyone should be very careful and take precautionary measures to keep themselves and their families safe.
For more details and data, please visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website here.
