More than half of the confirmed COVID-19 cases for the week ending Friday, February 11, were breakthrough cases in Pettis County.

According to Pettis County Health Center officials, 95 out of 182 cases counted for a breakthrough rate of 52 percent. Of the vaccinated cases, 42 had received a booster dose. The high percentage of breakthrough infections can be accounted for in part due to an outbreak at a residential facility, where a high percentage of residents were vaccinated.

The symptoms within this high-risk population were generally mild. Residents in residential facilities are routinely tested even without symptoms.

As of February 14, there were 11,670 positive cases reported as compared to 11,460 positive cases reported on February 7 and 11,142 on January 31. This is an increase of 210 cases in the past week and 528 cases in the past two weeks in Pettis County. The DHSS website is reporting Pettis County has a positivity rate of 25.3 percent for the past seven days, which is a decrease from 25.9 percent for the previous week with PCR testing.

There are 12 individuals hospitalized due to the virus at Bothwell Regional Health Center as compared to 14 last week. Eight of the 12 are vaccinated. There are three patients on a ventilator, including two unvaccinated. The DHSS website reports 115 deaths in Pettis County with a confirmed PCR test and 27 deaths with a positive antigen test.