Jefferson County Week 31 COVID Update

RED Status | Total new cases per 100,000 persons in past 7 days: 246.22 | Positivity Rate: 15.4%

Copy of Weekly Guidance Color Graphic (27).png

CDC Week 31 Epidemiological Analysis: (from JCHD Epidemiologist, Sara Wilton)

The County had a weekly case count of 554 confirmed and probable cases and a percent positivity of 15.43% in week 31. An additional 79 cases were added to week 30 after our reports were published due to delays in case reporting.  Please keep this in mind as you review this weeks’ numbers. Our highest percent increase in cases from week 30 to week 31 once again came from our 0-9 year age group.

Because this is yet another week where the highest increase in cases came from our 0-9 year population, I did some additional research on hospitalizations among this group as well. Hospitalizations among children with Covid-19 are still not being talked about enough. The false statement that “Covid doesn’t affect kids” is still circulating. Data has continued to show us that children are at risk for severe illness and hospitalization.  

According to the CDC, new admissions among children ages 0-17 are at its highest point in the pandemic thus far. The CDC has a section on their website where you can toggle between age groups to see a graph of new admissions per 100,000 and it is very alarming. All age groups under the age of 50 currently have new admissions greater than last fall when we experienced our biggest case surge.

To give you an example, I wanted to show the 18-29 age group in Missouri compared to the 70+ age group. They show the same time frame but notice the difference in curves.

Picture1.png
Picture2.png

This is certainly a good example of how vaccinations can impact and reduce the risk of hospitalization. The 18-29 group is approximately 31% fully vaccinated in Missouri whereas the 70+ group is approximately 75% fully vaccinated in Missouri.

On the CDC website there is a section that looks at hospital data. These graphs are specific to Jefferson County and show the 7-day totals, rates, percentages, and % change in the last 7 days. CDC COVID Data Tracker

In the entire month of July, we had 267 positive cases in our 0-19 age group. In the first 10 days of August, we have had 129 positive cases in our 0-19 age group. As of week 31, 15.71% of 10-19 year olds in our county have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Our total percentage of vaccinated individuals has increased slightly from 31.64% in week 30 to 32.23% in week 31. We are hoping to see a larger increase in vaccination as we head into the fall and back to school season.

During week 31, no deaths were reported, however, since Sunday an additional 4 deaths have come in.

Breakthrough cases have been reported in 55 (.08%) Jefferson County residents. Of those 55 cases, 5 were known to be hospitalized and 3 were reported as asymptomatic. Though we have a small amount of breakthrough cases, we know that vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy we have to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of infection within the community.

Jefferson County is currently in the ‘high transmission’ status. JCHD continues to recommend prevention measures including wearing a mask according to CDC guidance, hand washing, staying home if you are sick, avoiding large gatherings, getting tested if you are sick, and getting vaccinated if you are eligible. Each of these layers of protection not only keep us safe as individuals, but also reduce the risk of transmission protecting our families, friends, and the community.

 

CDC Week 31 Epi Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/6113e5e3c3617a75b3598f6e/1628693988141/Week+31+Reports.pdf

CDC Week 30 Vaccine Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/6113e5ff385b3c55f348ba62/1628694015631/JCHD_Covid19_Vaccine+Data_8.6.21.pdf

 

COVID-19 Case Updates: (as of 8/11/2021)

  • Total Cases: 26,331

    • Active Cases: 806

  • Total Deaths: 264

    • 4 additional deaths to report, all community based

      • 2 males: 50’s

      • Male: 60’s

      • Unknown: 30’s

Jefferson County, MO COVID19 Vaccine Update (6).png

Jefferson County Week 30 COVID Update

RED Status | Total new cases per 100,000 persons in past 7 days: 220.89 | Positivity Rate: 16.9%

Copy of Weekly Guidance Color Graphic (24).png

CDC Week 30 Epidemiological Analysis: (from JCHD Epidemiologist, Sara Wilton)

This is the second week utilizing the updated CDC transmission indicator system which has a few changes; green changed to blue, main indicators to watch are total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and percentage of tests that are positive during the past 7 days.

The indicators used to determine CDC transmission level are well above the threshold for the “Red”/High Transmission level. The number of new cases per 100,000 persons in the last 7 days is 220.89. Our percent of tests that are positive within the last 7 days is 16.9%. This past weeks’ numbers are similar to those we experienced in mid-October of 2020 right before our biggest surge last year.

COVID in children (1).png

Our age group that experienced the highest percent increase in cases during week 30 was the 0-9 year age group. A visual depicting this sharp increase can be found on Figure 4 in the 0-19 age group report.

 When comparing the number of positive cases in children in June versus July we saw a 352%. Delta variant has been shown to be 2x more infectious than the original strain of COVID-19 and has a higher chance of infecting children.

As of week 30, only 14.72% of 10-19 year olds in our county have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Our total percentage of vaccinated individuals has not changed much since the last report increasing from 31.11% in week 29 to 31.64% in week 30. We were hoping we would see a slightly bigger increase in first dose recipients after the vaccine incentive was announced, but the small increase was on par with the rate of increase we have experienced the past several weeks.

During week 30, no deaths were reported, however, since Sunday an additional 5 deaths have come in. One thing to note is while we had a few weeks of reporting no deaths, we should expect that number to increase once again now that cases and hospitalizations have been increasing. Deaths always lag behind the cases and hospitalizations, and we typically receive confirmation of covid related deaths around 3-5 weeks after the deaths occur.

Breakthrough cases have been reported in 47 (.07%) Jefferson County residents. Of those 47 cases, 5 were known to be hospitalized and 3 were reported as asymptomatic. Though we have a small amount of breakthrough cases, we know that vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy we have to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of infection within the community.

Jefferson County is currently in the ‘high transmission’ status. JCHD continues to recommend prevention measures including wearing a mask according to CDC guidance, hand washing, staying home if you are sick, avoiding large gatherings, getting tested if you are sick, and getting vaccinated if you are eligible. Each of these layers of protection not only keep us safe as individuals, but also reduce the risk of transmission protecting our families, friends, and the community.


CDC Week 30 Epi Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/610a999c55cef909f04d1679/1628084636878/Week+30+Reports.pdf

CDC Week 30 Vaccine Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/610a99c37fef935197aafadd/1628084675692/JCHD_Covid19_Vaccine+Data_7.27.21.pdf

 

COVID-19 Case Updates: (as of 8/4/2021)

  • Total Cases: 25,736

    • Active Cases: 748

  • Total Deaths: 260

    • 5 additional deaths to report, all community based

      • 3 males; 50’s

      • 2 females; 60’s & 80’s


vax 1.png

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates:

-        71,193, or 31.64%, of Jeffco residents have been fully vaccinated

 

To find COVID-19 Vaccination near you, visit:

-        Missouri Site- https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/find/#navigator

-        Federal Site- https://www.vaccines.gov

National Immunization Awareness Month

Get back on track with routine vaccinations.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of getting recommended vaccines throughout your life. We know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of life, including your ability to attend important appointments and receive routine vaccinations. During NIAM, we encourage you to talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional to ensure you and your family are protected against serious diseases by getting caught up on routine vaccination.

We also encourage you to visit CDC’s Growing Up with Vaccines interactive guide, which provides information on the vaccines recommended during pregnancy, throughout childhood, and into adulthood.

As your children head back to school this fall, it’s particularly important for you to work with your child’s doctor or nurse to make sure they get caught up on missed well-child visits and recommended vaccines.

Remember to take care of yourself too! Make sure to receive any vaccines you need to stay healthy. Use CDC’s adult vaccine assessment tool to see which vaccines might be right for you.

August is also a critical time for those who are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccination, check out the following websites:

Jefferson County Week 29 COVID Update

RED Status | Total new cases per 100,000 persons in past 7 days: 165.33 | Positivity Rate: 14.7%

Copy of Weekly Guidance Color Graphic (23).png

 CDC Week 29 Epidemiological Analysis: (from JCHD Epidemiologist, Sara Wilton)

This week is the first week utilizing the updated CDC transmission indicator system which has a few changes; green changed to blue, main indicators to watch are total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and percentage of tests that are positive during the past 7 days. The chart below shows how the old indicators have been simplified to the new color indicators.  

Screenshot 2021-07-28 085155.png

The number of new cases per 100,000 persons in the last 7 days is 164.44, which is well over the 100+ case threshold for red status. Our percent of tests that are positive within the last 7 days is 14.7% which is also over the 10%+ threshold for red status. Our new cases increased 20% over the last 7 days and the percent positivity is the highest we have seen since January of this year. The highest percent increase in cases came from our 0-9- and 10-19-year age groups.

As of week 29, only 13.96% of 10-19 year olds in our county have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Our 0–9-year-olds have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 because it is not yet authorized for that age group, which is all the more reason to be taking additional prevention measures to protect them. Delta variant has been shown to be 2x more infectious than the original strain of COVID-19 and has a higher chance of infecting children.

Breakthrough cases have been reported in 46 (.07%) Jefferson County residents. Of those 46 cases, 4 were known to be hospitalized and 3 were reported as asymptomatic. Though we have a small amount of breakthrough cases, we know that vaccination is the most effective prevention strategy we have to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of infection within the community.

CDC recently updated their guidance to recommend all individuals regardless of vaccination status to wear a mask in indoor public settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. Jefferson County is currently in the ‘high transmission’ status. JCHD continues to recommend prevention measures including wearing a mask according to CDC guidance, hand washing, staying home if you are sick, avoiding large gatherings, getting tested if you are sick, and getting vaccinated if you are eligible. Each of these layers of protection not only keep us safe as individuals, but also reduce the risk of transmission protecting our families, friends, and the community.

 

CDC Week 29 Epi Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/61017e3763b82b650db24944/1627487800024/Week+29+Reports.pdf

CDC Week 29 Vaccine Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/57f035cc9f745646c52342b9/t/61017e513c3030139fbc1627/1627487825421/JCHD_Covid19_Vaccine+Data_7.23.21.pdf

COVID-19 Case Updates: (as of 7/28/2021)

  • Total Cases: 25,052

    • Active Cases: 449

  • Total Deaths: 255

    • No additional deaths reported

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates:

  • 69,997, or 31.11%, of Jeffco residents have been fully vaccinated

 

To find COVID-19 Vaccination near you, visit: