Special Report

These Are the Counties in the Charleston, WV Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: September 19, 2021 2:15 am

The ongoing spread of the delta variant is claiming lives and threatening a return to normalcy in the United States. So far, 659,336 Americans have died from the virus — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Charleston metropolitan area, located in West Virginia, a total of 438 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 202 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 202 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

Though COVID-19 deaths per capita in the metro area are closely in line with comparable national rate, there are parts of the city where the rate is slightly higher.

The broader Charleston metro area comprises three counties or county equivalents — and of them, Kanawha County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Kanawha County stands at 209 for every 100,000 people.

Though it has the highest per capita death rate in the Charleston metro area, Kanawha County ranks among the middle 50% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Sept. 16, 2021.

These are all the counties in West Virginia where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).