Half of NC is now fully vaccinated as COVID-19 patients in ICUs continues to climb
With over 5,210,000 people in North Carolina fully vaccinated, the state’s vaccine rate has reached 50%, but COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care have never been higher as the delta variant surge continues.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Tuesday that 941 COVID patients, a pandemic high, are being treated in ICUs, making up about 26% of the 3,612 COVID hospitalizations statewide.
Having nearly tripled in August, hospitalizations due to the virus are the highest since January, when they peaked at 3,990.
Deaths due to the virus have more than tripled from last month. As of Tuesday’s report, 729 North Carolinians have died due to COVID-19 in August. In July 207 died.
The rise in deaths and hospitalizations is due to the delta variant, a mutation of the coronavirus that’s more than three times as contagious as the original strain. It makes up nearly 94% of sequenced virus in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unvaccinated people are 15 times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated. Deaths are also trending younger than from earlier in the pandemic, The News & Observer previously reported.
Among those eligible for the shot in North Carolina, ages 12 and up, 58% are fully vaccinated, compared to 61% nationwide. For those age 65 and up, the North Carolina rate is 86%, a bit higher than the 82% national figure. Just over half, 52%, of the total U.S. population is vaccinated.
In a joint press conference with WakeMed, Duke Health and UNC Health last week, hospital officials urged people not to seek emergency care unless it is necessary, because of the surge in COVID patients in recent weeks stressing the health infrastructure.
“Please get vaccinated so you do not end up a patient in one of our hospitals,” said Linda Butler, chief medical officer at UNC Rex hospital. “We don’t want your business. We want you to be healthy.”
As of Tuesday, 631,585 Americans, including 14,468 North Carolinians, have died due to COVID-19.
New case rates and positive tests remain high
DHHS reported over 5,300 new cases Tuesday. The state has reported over 6,700 new cases per day over the last week. That rate has increased by more than 250% in August.
Among the tests reported Saturday, the latest data available, 14.6% returned positive. Over the last week of available data, 12.8% of tests have returned positive per day.
State health officials have said they want that rate at 5% or lower. It’s one of the many indicators that the state uses to gauge virus spread.
The statewide rate hasn’t been that low since July 15.
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Half of NC is now fully vaccinated as COVID-19 patients in ICUs continues to climb."