Thanks to high vaccination rates, coronavirus cases have remained largely in the single digits in the Blue Ridge Health District over the past three months. But in recent weeks, the highly contagious delta variant—which may cause more severe illness than other strains of the virus—has caused cases to spike. On July 26, the district saw 30 new cases, the highest since late April.
Last Thursday, local health officials and doctors stressed the importance of vaccination at a Blue Ridge Health District town hall event. While there have been a small number of breakthrough cases among vaccinated people in the U.S., nearly all hospitalizations and deaths are occurring among unvaccinated people.
“If you’re vaccinated, the vaccine is working—it’s keeping you out of the hospital and lowering your symptoms,” explained Dr. Denise Bonds, medical director of the health district. “But we have found through studies that if you’re vaccinated and infected with the delta variant, you are capable of spreading that virus to other individuals.”
“We can make the assumption that most of the cases we are seeing in our area are likely delta,” she added.
In Charlottesville, about 60 percent of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and almost 55 percent are fully vaccinated. In Albemarle County, nearly 69 percent have received at least one dose, and about 63 percent are fully vaccinated. And across the entire health district, nearly 62 percent of residents have received at least one dose, and about 56 percent are fully vaccinated.
Last month, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that people living in areas with substantial or high transmission of the virus wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. The BRHD is currently experiencing both substantial and high community transmission—excluding Louisa County, which has moderate transmission.
“Anyone who is unvaccinated, or if you have a medical condition that puts you at high risk because you’re immunocompromised…[we] strongly recommend you wear a mask,” said Bonds. “Or if you are living with someone or a caregiver for someone who fits that definition.”
This week, Albemarle County began requiring masks again inside county office buildings and facilities. Charlottesville has not announced any plans yet to reinstate its mask mandate. Last week, Governor Ralph Northam announced that state employees will be required to get vaccinated (and show proof) by September 1. Those who refuse to get the shot will have to get tested for the virus and show negative results every week.
To date, around 70 percent of employees affected by the new requirement are fully vaccinated. “To the people who have hesitated, who may be worried about side effects—the time for waiting is over. Millions of people around the world have been vaccinated and we are fine,” said Northam.
During the latter portion of the town hall, the panelists answered questions previously submitted by area residents. Those tuning in to the Zoom meeting were also able to call in to ask questions.
In response to concerns about the side effects children may experience from the vaccine, local pediatrician Paige Perriello said they typically do not get a fever or body aches like adults do, “but that’s certainly still possible, and we all know that’s the immune system doing what’s its supposed to do.”
UVA pediatrician Jeff Vergales also emphasized the importance of students, teachers, and staff wearing masks in K-12 schools—regardless of vaccination status—along with other mitigation strategies like social distancing. Charlottesville and Albemarle County school districts have already announced mask mandates, but other school systems around the state have made masks optional. (Northam has said that schools are legally obligated to follow the CDC’s universal masking recommendations.)
“We have loads of data now coming in from the pandemic in the last year that mitigation strategies in schools work,” Vergales said. “Schools were not the mass spreader events that your house would be, [or] that family gatherings would be.”
Perriello later answered questions about the delta variant, explaining that it has nearly the same symptoms as the original variant, including fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, and fatigue. However, it does not seem to affect children more severely than other strains.
“If you’re vaccinated and you get a breakthrough infection, it’s really often a mild respiratory type of symptoms,” added Bonds.
All panelists urged vaccinated people to talk with their unvaccinated family members and friends about getting the shot.
“One of the best things that can happen for people is to have conversations with people they trust, and it can be very helpful to hear from people who were hesitant themselves,” said Perriello.
