The ongoing vaccination effort is allowing life in the United States to return to some degree of normalcy after COVID-19 wreaked havoc for well over a year. So far, the virus has claimed 594,496 American lives — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.
In the Wheeling metropolitan area, which covers parts of West Virginia and Ohio, a total of 339 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 238 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 182 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.
The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.
The broader Wheeling metro area comprises three counties or county equivalents — and of them, Belmont County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Belmont County stands at 254 for every 100,000 people.
Though it has the highest per capita death rate in the Wheeling metro area, Belmont County ranks among the middle 50% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents with at least one COVID-19 fatality by death rate per capita.
All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of June 14, 2021.
These are all the counties in Ohio where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).
| Rank | Geography | Deaths per 100,000 people | Total deaths | Confirmed cases per 100,000 people | Total confirmed cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belmont County, OH | 254.1 | 174 | 8,979 | 6,148 |
| 2 | Marshall County, WV | 246.5 | 78 | 11,158 | 3,531 |
| 3 | Ohio County, WV | 204.5 | 87 | 10,114 | 4,303 |
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