[Archived] Alexandria Health Department Provides Update on COVID-19 ZIP Code, Race, Ethnicity and Age Data

­­For Immediate Release: September 8, 2020

The Alexandria Health Department (AHD) has published an expanded analysis of data on COVID-19 cases in Alexandria, including summaries by ZIP code, race, ethnicity and age. 

Updated ZIP Code Data

The City of Alexandria has provided the estimated population for each local ZIP code to compare the number of cases per 1,000 residents. As of September 5, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reported the following cumulative COVID-19 cases.

Analysis by Cumulative ZIP Code Data

¹ The positivity rate is the number of confirmed cases divided by the number of tests.

² ZIP code 22206 is mostly in Arlington County; the City of Alexandria portion of data for 22206 is not provided, therefore the numbers and calculations would not be reliable for reporting for Alexandria.

³ ZIP codes 22311 and 22312 are shared between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County. The number of cases and number of people tested presented in this table, and accompanying calculations, are for the entire ZIP code. Cases per 1,000 Alexandrians cannot be reliably calculated.

4 Data is cumulative from the onset of the pandemic to May 7, and includes cases and tests over a time period greater than one month. 

Significant Changes Since August

As expected with ongoing community transmission of COVID-19 in the region, there has been an increase in cumulative positive cases per 1,000 residents. The range of rates in the August 5 analysis was 5.5 to 40.8, and the range in the September analysis is 7.2 to 44.9.

All Alexandria ZIP codes have continued to experience decreases in their cumulative positivity rates since the May analysis. Positivity rates measure what percentage of tests conducted in a community are positive. This measure is influenced both by how many tests are conducted and by how rapidly the virus is spreading. While there is no perfect measure to describe the burden of COVID-19 infections during this pandemic, positivity rate is a widely used metric despite its limitations.

In the August analysis, the cumulative percent positivity ranged from 5.6% to 20.3%. In the September analysis, the range was 4.9% to 17.1%. The ZIP code with the highest cumulative positivity rate since May remains 22305, but this ZIP code has also experienced a nearly 70% reduction in its cumulative positivity rate since the initial analysis. ZIP code 22301 continues to have the lowest cumulative positivity rate since May.

Due to efforts by AHD, the City, and healthcare providers, testing and testing awareness have increased across all ZIP codes in Alexandria since May. Timely testing is just one part of the multipronged pandemic response strategy, and prevention of new infections remains the priority. It is important for all members of the community to practice physical distancing, wear masks, wash hands frequently, and cooperate with case investigations and contact tracing if called by public health staff.

It is also important to look at the data monthly to be aware of the current state of the pandemic. The following analysis is a monthly snapshot of new cases and tests since the prior month’s report. Two ZIP codes (22305 and 22311) have experienced decreases in their monthly positivity rate, while five ZIP codes have experienced increases in their positivity rates as noted in the September analysis. 

Analysis by Monthly New Case ZIP Code Data

¹ The positivity rate is the number of confirmed cases divided by the number of tests.

² ZIP code 22206 is mostly in Arlington County; the City of Alexandria portion of data for 22206 is not provided, therefore the numbers and calculations would not be reliable for reporting for Alexandria.

³ ZIP codes 22311 and 22312 are shared between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County. The number of cases and number of people tested presented in this table, and accompanying calculations, are for the entire ZIP code. Cases per 1,000 Alexandrians cannot be reliably calculated.

⁴ Data is cumulative from the onset of the pandemic to May 7, and includes cases and tests over a time period greater than one month.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 by Race and Ethnicity

Everyone is at risk for COVID-19, but the virus has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations within our community due to underlying systemic issues. VDH has published data on COVID-19 cases by race and ethnicity since the middle of June. The following table and charts present the same cumulative case data by month.

Analysis by Cumulative Race and Ethnicity Data

Individuals who identify as Latino or Hispanic make up 16.8% of the population in Alexandria, but as of September 5, this community represents 47.6% of the diagnosed COVID-19 infections. This is a decrease from last month (when this community represented 51.6% of cumulative COVID-19 infections), and follows the trend from the past month. 

Analysis by Monthly New Case Race and Ethnicity Data

When looking at COVID-19 cases diagnosed August 6 through September 5, 29.6% of cases were among individuals who identify as Black, which is a decrease from 35.7% the prior month. Individuals who identify as Latino comprised 28.8% of cases during the same time period, a decrease from 35.5% last month. The percentage of newly diagnosed people identifying as white increased in this monthly analysis from 16.1% to 23.3%. If cases were proportionate by population, AHD would expect to see that whites have the highest number of cases with almost double the number of cases compared to the Black population.

Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 by Age

When looking at cumulative data, the largest proportion of cases continue to be among those 30 to 39 years old, which is to be expected based on Alexandria’s population. 

Analysis of Cases by Cumulative Age Data

Analysis by Monthly New Case Age Data

Those who are 30 to 39 years old represent the largest proportion of new cases from August 6 to September 5. There was a large percent increase seen among the 0 to 9, 70 to 79, and 80+ age groups.

What the Alexandria Health Department is Doing

AHD is a mission-driven organization whose response to this pandemic is consistent with public health justice principles. AHD continues to develop and update Strategic Action Plans that guide efforts and help prepare for future challenges.

AHD activities in the past month to combat the COVID-19 pandemic include:

• Preparing for annual flu vaccination clinics on September 26 and October 3. Plan to attend a clinic, or schedule an appointment to receive the flu vaccine at a physician’s office or pharmacy.

• Responding to cases and outbreaks in the community. AHD case investigators and contact tracers work seven days a week to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 infection.

• Providing technical support to Neighborhood Health to organize and coordinate weekly targeted testing events for communities who may not have otherwise had access to testing, and for those who have been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case. AHD analyzes data and identifies these communities based on need.

• Guiding physicians with information about evaluating patients with COVID-19 symptoms and criteria for returning to work, school and daycare. 

• Supporting City agencies, faith based organizations, and governmental leadership with recommendations based on current COVID-19 research.

• Responding to complaints about businesses not adhering to Executive Orders and supporting businesses in their commitment to the ALX Promise. 

AHD continues to perform quality case investigations and contract tracing as community transmission increases, and shares accurate knowledge and advice with community partners, City colleagues, other government officials, and members of the community on the rapidly evolving research and recommendations related to COVID-19.