Mecklenburg COVID-19 cases skyrocket. Charlotte hospitals prep for vaccine.
In the last two weeks, Mecklenburg’s coronavirus levels have sky-rocketed, far surpassing previous records.
Coronavirus hospitalizations in Mecklenburg notched five record-breaking days in the most recent 10 days of data available, between Nov. 27 and Sunday.
And reports of daily coronavirus cases have spiked, too. Sunday’s tally of 784 newly reported COVID-19 cases set a record in the county.
While day-to-day figures will vary, looking at the average number of cases over a 14-day period gives a more accurate account of community spread locally. In Mecklenburg, the average has been increasing steadily since late October and at 474 positive cases per day among residents, the average is now much higher than seen in July, the previous peak point.
But health experts warn the weekend spike likely doesn’t yet fully account for the impact from Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. That spike could be seen later this week, state epidemiologist Zack Moore said Monday.
It typically takes about two weeks to see change in COVID-19 trends due to a particular event or holiday, Mecklenburg health Director Gibbie Harris has said.
The county saw a big increase in testing before and during the Thanksgiving holiday. Testing levels have continued to increase, even after Thanksgiving. Even with more people getting tested than ever before, the county’s positivity rate has also increased — indicating elevated spread of the virus.
In recent weeks, that rate among county residents has been at its highest level in four months. In data released Tuesday morning by the Mecklenburg County Health Department, officials reported the average positivity rate over the last week was 11%.
Currently more people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Charlotte and surrounding towns than ever before during the pandemic. On average, county health data show, 242 people are in the hospital with coronavirus illness.
On Tuesday, state health officials reported a total of 47,986 cases in Mecklenburg since mid-March. The county has reported 477 related deaths.
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N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to hold a press conference on COVID-19 at 3 p.m. Tuesday, ahead of the scheduled expiration of Phase 3 on Friday.
The state, too, has seen a spike in COVID-19 trends in recent weeks, which Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen called “worrisome” on Saturday, the News & Obsever reported.
The state, and many counties surrounding Mecklenburg, had surpassed previous peak levels long before Mecklenburg followed suit.
But there could be hope for combating the spread of the coronavirus soon. Cohen has said she expects to see the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine approved at least by the end of next week, and distribution of vaccines soon after.
On Monday, the state released a list of 11 hospital organizations that will receive early shipments of the coronavirus vaccine, including Charlotte’s Atrium Health.
Atrium’s Dr. Lewis McCurdy told reporters Monday the hospital system is prepared to receive vaccines, but does not yet know how many the system will receive in the first shipment. The number could be in the “low thousands,” he said.
The first round of coronavirus vaccines will go to health care workers and medical first responders, according to the state’s vaccination plan.
But even if a vaccine arrives in Charlotte in the next two weeks, it could be months before it is available to most people, founder of the Atrium Health Vaccine Research Program Dr. Christine Turley told reporters Tuesday.
“It’s a long journey,” Turley said. “And for those who get vaccines early, the social distancing and mask-wearing absolutely has to continue, because we will still have COVID circulating in our community.”
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