Vermont has reached a grim new milestone in the Covid-19 pandemic. The state has recorded 1,001 deaths from the virus since March 2020, according to data released this week by the Vermont Department of Health. Four of those deaths were reported in August.
Public health officials, meanwhile, are keeping a close eye on rising rates of Covid nationally — and in Vermont.
The state had 25 Covid-19 hospital admissions in the past week, up from 16 the prior week and seven to 10 per week in July, the department reported on Thursday.
Hospital admissions remain far below last fall’s levels, when the state was reporting more than 40 hospitalizations per week, or the record-breaking peak of the Omicron variant in January 2022, when more than 20 people were hospitalized with the virus on an average day.
But combined with a small but consistent increase in Covid cases and a national surge in Covid rates, the state’s rising hospital admissions could signal the beginning of yet another statewide uptick in Covid levels.
“I think we can say that we have seen an increase in activity, based on the best available information,” said John Davey, an epidemiologist for the health department.
Davey said data from wastewater surveillance is less clear. Some testing sites indicate Covid detection appears to be rising, but others remain flat, and he cautioned that levels can vary significantly from week to week.
He said the health department is “still kind of in a ‘wait and see’ mode.” The latest increase is coming out of a very quiet July, when Covid metrics for Vermont hit their lowest point since the Delta variant arose in 2021.
“We’re not at the overall levels of impact that we’ve had previously,” he said. “With that being said, we are seeing this heading into when kids are going back into school, (and) we’re not that far away from the fall-winter months now,” when Vermont’s Covid levels have generally been high.
Nationwide, hospital admissions for Covid have risen 19% in the past two weeks, according to The New York Times. Covid hospitalizations are highest in Delaware, North Carolina, Missouri and Florida. Kansas and Georgia have reported significant upticks in their hospitalizations, as well.
Experts have blamed the latest heat waves across the country as one driving factor, as residents of Southern states retreat indoors. Davey also pointed to the high volume of summer travel as a possible reason for the uptick.
At the same time, a new subvariant, EG.5, is growing in prevalence. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that subvariant is now responsible for roughly 17% of Covid cases nationwide.
Davey said now is a “good opportunity” for Vermonters to revisit their plans to protect themselves and the people around them, including refamiliarizing themselves with the department’s Covid guidance.
He recommended that Vermonters take particularly strong precautions if they plan to interact with high-risk friends and family. If you develop symptoms, make sure to get tested, isolate for five days and wear a mask while symptomatic, he said.
And, as always, the department recommends that Vermonters stay up-to-date on their Covid vaccines.
The Vermont Department of Health is planning for a vaccine booster campaign in the fall, according to spokesperson Ben Truman. The vaccine, which has not been finalized or authorized yet, would be available at doctors’ offices, certain pharmacies and free clinics.
Truman said via email that uninsured Vermonters would be able to get the vaccine at no cost, thanks to the CDC’s Bridge Access Program.
Davey said a lot of Vermonters are still seeing serious outcomes from Covid, particularly those who are high-risk due to health conditions or their age.
High-risk Vermonters should talk to their health care provider about having a plan to get access to Covid therapeutics, such as Paxlovid, should they get the disease, he said.
Davey said “while we don’t want people to be alarmed” by the new variant, “we do want to really encourage people to look out for each other and try to do what they can to reduce transmission.”
