COVID hospitalizations in NC near January levels as delta variant surges
North Carolina reported 2,828 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 statewide Tuesday, 156 more than Monday.
It’s the highest reported since late January when the state was just coming down from the pandemic’s peak in the winter.
Officials blame the highly contagious delta variant, a mutation of the original strain of the coronavirus.
Among strands of the virus in North Carolina that have been sequenced in recent weeks, over 86% are the delta variant, the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
In just the past two weeks, hospitalizations have nearly doubled. Since the beginning of July, they’ve increased by over sevenfold, data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services shows.
A quarter of those hospitalized statewide, 708, are being treated in intensive care units.
And those hospitalized are getting younger.
A week ago, DHHS reported the average age of those hospitalized was 44, down from 61 in January. Among those hospitalized a week ago, more than 90% were unvaccinated.
Among North Carolina’s total population, 48% are fully vaccinated. But among those eligible for the shot, ages 12 and up, 56% are fully vaccinated.
DHHS reported 3,575 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the lowest in a week.
But statewide on Monday, health care providers tested the fewest people they have since last Monday.
Among the tests reported on Saturday, the latest available data, 13.5% were positive. Over the last week an average of 12.1% per day have been positive. Officials have said they want the rate at 5% or lower.
DHHS reported 15 deaths due to COVID, but it didn’t specify the dates of those deaths.
As of Tuesday, 13,895 North Carolinians have died due to the virus.
Mask mandates in North Carolina
As of Sunday, every county in North Carolina except Avery has high community transmission of COVID-19, according to the CDC. It has substantial spread.
The CDC recommends people in counties with high or substantial spread wear masks indoors, even if vaccinated.
At least 18% of the state’s population live in places where municipalities have issued or will soon issue an indoor mask mandate, The News & Observer reported.
That includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough.
Booster shots expected to be recommended
The Biden administration is expected to recommend that most Americans receive booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine eight months after they received their last dose, The News York Times first reported Monday.
The first booster shots are expected to go to long-term care residents and health care workers.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved booster shots for immunocompromised people.
Upon this approval, DHHS announced Monday that North Carolinians moderately to severely immuncompromised can receive a third dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
Those with compromised immune systems don’t always build the same level of immunity after vaccination compared to others, the CDC reported last week.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 2:13 PM with the headline "COVID hospitalizations in NC near January levels as delta variant surges."