COVID-19 Blog

Key Takeaways

• Case rates of COVID-19 and influenza are at a seasonal low. COVID-19 hospitalization rates are the lowest recorded since summer of 2021. Other surveillance metrics such as wastewater sampling, and COVID-like illness visits to emergency departments and urgent care facilities, corroborate these findings. Models suggest that Virginia will see a mild summer of low COVID-19 activity.
• Tick-borne diseases continue to cause significant morbidity in the Commonwealth. As “tick season” begins, Virginians are urged to practice good tick-bite prevention.
• Avian influenza is still causing outbreaks among livestock. It has not yet caused any significant human morbidity. The USDA is considering a vaccination program that would include turkeys in Virginia.
• NOAA predicts a warmer and wetter summer for parts of Virginia. It also expects a “near normal” hurricane season.

VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.

UVA Biocomplexity Institute Slides.

VDH Surveillance Data Update.

This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.

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The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. For instance, an Ebola outbreak occurring outside of the United States would pose virtually no risk to Virginians, but emergency preparedness resources may be activated to coordinate efforts to monitor, quarantine, and potentially treat travelers arriving from affected countries. The update includes links to publicly available data and news sources. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.

Key Takeaways

• Overall respiratory illness activity is stable near baseline levels.
• Although the WHO mpox PHEIC declaration ended last week, CDC cautioned that mpox cases may rise over the next few months due to increases in gatherings and events. Chicago is currently experiencing a resurgence of mpox with 12 confirmed cases and one probable case.
• Traffic accident fatalities are on the rise in Virginia. Hampton Roads led all metropolitan areas in Virginia for vehicle crashes in 2022.
• Two EF1 tornados touched down in Southwest Virginia causing limited damage.
• VDH launched the SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance dashboard on Thursday.

VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.

VDH Surveillance Data Update.

This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.

---

The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. For instance, an Ebola outbreak occurring outside of the United States would pose virtually no risk to Virginians, but emergency preparedness resources may be activated to coordinate efforts to monitor, quarantine, and potentially treat travelers arriving from affected countries. The update includes links to publicly available data and news sources. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.

Key Takeaways

• The CDC has retired COVID-19 Community Levels. Overall respiratory illness activity is stable near baseline levels.
• Virginia rescinded its COVID-19 PHE effective 12:00 AM May 12, coinciding with the end of the national PHE on May 11 Meanwhile, the WHO’s COVID-19 PHEIC ended on May 5, while the mpox PHEIC ended on May 11.
• Drug overdoses in Virginia have been increasing rapidly since 2013 due to fentanyl. The Governor’s Office has issued an executive order to deal with the ongoing opioid crisis.
• The San Francisco International Airport in partnership with the CDC has begun wastewater surveillance for incoming international flights for variants of COVID-19.

VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.

UVA Biocomplexity Institute Slides.

VDH Surveillance Data Update.

This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.

---

The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. For instance, an Ebola outbreak occurring outside of the United States would pose virtually no risk to Virginians, but emergency preparedness resources may be activated to coordinate efforts to monitor, quarantine, and potentially treat travelers arriving from affected countries. The update includes links to publicly available data and news sources. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.

Key Takeaways

• As with last week, all Virginian counties and cities are at low COVID-19 community levels. All regions are at minimal influenza levels. Statewide influenza levels are also at minimal.
• The CSU Tropical Weather Center anticipates a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season, but with a near-average probability of a major hurricane making landfall in the coastal US or Caribbean.
• Virginia Beach declared a local emergency after severe storms, including an EF-3 tornado, caused over $15 million in damage Sunday evening.
• The COVID-19 public health emergency declaration will end on May 11. When it does, the CDC will stop reporting COVID-19 Community Levels. The CDC is determining how to address healthcare guidance without use of Community Levels. It will however, continue to collect county-level COVID-19 hospitalization data for the foreseeable future.

VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.

VDH Surveillance Data Update.

This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.

---

The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. For instance, an Ebola outbreak occurring outside of the United States would pose virtually no risk to Virginians, but emergency preparedness resources may be activated to coordinate efforts to monitor, quarantine, and potentially treat travelers arriving from affected countries. The update includes links to publicly available data and news sources. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.

Key Takeaways

• All Virginian counties and cities are at low COVID-19 community levels. All regions are at minimal influenza levels. Statewide influenza levels are also at minimal for the first time this year.
• The COVID-19 public health emergency is set to end May 11th, changing access to free at-home COVID tests and public health data.
• One confirmed and 31 suspected cases of measles in American Samoa, which has been declared as a public health emergency. Schools there are closed through May 12th.
• European researchers identified a cryptic COVID-19 lineage in two Polish mink farms. Researchers suspect the virus is from an unknown animal reservoir.

VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update.

UVA Biocomplexity Institute Slides.

VDH Surveillance Data Update.

This page updates weekly on Friday by 5:00 PM.

---

The VDH OEP Weekly Situation Update is produced by the VDH Office of Emergency Preparedness. This update covers ongoing or potential public health issues, including COVID-19. This product is intended to enhance situational awareness among the public health, healthcare, and emergency management communities. Some items covered may pose little or no threat to the public at large. For instance, an Ebola outbreak occurring outside of the United States would pose virtually no risk to Virginians, but emergency preparedness resources may be activated to coordinate efforts to monitor, quarantine, and potentially treat travelers arriving from affected countries. The update includes links to publicly available data and news sources. These items are included for situational awareness only and do not represent an endorsement of the source or information therein.