Average age of Greene County COVID-19 fatalities falls from 88 to 63

(From the Springfield-Greene County Health Department)

The average age of Greene County residents who have died from COVID-19 so far in July has fallen 25 years from its peak in March of 2020. So far in July, our community has lost 32 Greene County residents to COVID-19, and many did not have preexisting conditions that caused them to be at increased risk for severe illness. The average age of those who died in July is 63, down from 88 in March of 2020. Since vaccine became available, 96.5% of those who have died in our community were not fully vaccinated.

 

Many residents continue to assume that they are not at risk due to their age or overall health. COVID-19, and especially the Delta variant, continue to prove these assumptions wrong. The Health Department is urging those who have not yet been vaccinated to talk to their doctor or other reliable source about the importance of seeking vaccine.

“The unfortunate reality now is many of these fatalities could have been prevented with vaccine,” said Director of Health Katie Towns. “Vaccination is a highly effective method to prevent deaths and severe illness. The lives of our friends, family and neighbors depend on it. We extend our condolences to everyone impacted by these recent losses.”

Beyond the loss that the loved ones of these individuals are experiencing, the rate of COVID-19 deaths will impact the operations of our community’s health care systems. Adjustments to capacity are being made by both CoxHealth and Mercy in preparation for potentially more fatalities. More information will be available at the Health Department’s media availability later today.

The 32 individuals who have died so far in July include:
A man in his 20s
A man in his 30s
A woman in her 30s
A man in his 40s
A woman in her 40s
Six men in their 50s
A woman in her 50s
Five men in their 60s
Two woman in their 60s
Six women in their 70s
Three men in their 70s
Four men in their 80s

Greene County lost 3 residents to COVID-19 in May, and 24 in June. A total of 492 Greene County residents have now died from COVID-19.

Vaccine opportunities can be found at vaccine417.com or by calling (417) 874-1211.