Veterans Affairs Surpasses One Million COVID Cases Amid Ongoing Health Concerns

Wednesday marked a momentous milestone for the medical officials working for the Department of Veterans Affairs as they recorded their millionth COVID-19 case diagnosis. According to Dr. Gio Baracco, a senior advisor for the National Infectious Diseases Service of the Veterans Health Administration, the virus remains a worry for public health long after the worldwide pandemic's peak. Even though COVID-19 is still our community's most significant viral respiratory virus, Baracco acknowledged this fact. Although the severity of the virus has decreased in comparison to the early days, he stressed that it is still a factor in the occurrence of illnesses, hospitalizations, and fatalities with the virus.

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A diagnosis of COVID-19 was made for the first time by the VA on March 4, 2020, which is more than 1,700 days ago. Since that time, more than 26,670 people who were connected to the health care system of the VA have passed away as a result of illnesses related to COVID-19. The first two years of the epidemic were the most fatal for the majority of the deaths that occurred. In May of 2023, federal officials announced that the pandemic had been declared over, which marked a change in how public health was addressed.

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In 2024 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has documented around 67,000 new cases, which accounts for approximately 7% of its total cases, and approximately 1,100 deaths attributable to COVID-19, which accounts for approximately 4% of the cumulative toll. Although the number of cases has decreased, health professionals from the VA encourage continuing caution because the virus is still active inside communities.

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