COVID spike is ‘pushing the boundaries of what hospitals can handle,’ NC doctors warn
The spike in COVID-19 spread due to the omicron coronavirus variant is pushing North Carolina hospitals to their limits, doctors across the state told reporters Tuesday.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is extremely contagious, Novant Health infectious disease expert Dr. David Priest said Tuesday.
And that means cases are increasing faster than ever, Atrium Health infectious disease expert Dr. Katie Passaretti said.
“We are seeing steeper increases (in cases) than we’ve ever seen before in a shorter timeframe,” she said.
But the variant appears to cause fewer severe cases or hospitalizations than the delta variant, Priest said.
“That’s the only saving grace right now,” he said. “If omicron put people in the hospital like delta did, the health care system would have collapsed in our country by now.”
Still, the sheer volume of omicron COVID cases does mean hospitalizations are rising, Priest said, adding: “We’re still pushing the boundaries of what hospitals can handle.”
According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, the region that includes Mecklenburg and parts of 10 surrounding counties has the highest number of hospitalized COVID patients across the state as of the last week of December, with 651 hospitalized patients.
And across the state, more than 3,000 people are hospitalized with COVID, filling 80% of North Carolina’s hospital beds, DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley told reporters Tuesday afternoon. And over 600 people are in ICUs, taking up 85% of capacity.
“Cases of COVID-19 are reaching all time highs right now,” Gov. Roy Cooper said. “Our hospitals still have capacity. And that is because so many North Carolinians have gotten vaccinated and boosted sharply reducing their chances of needing hospital care.”
COVID testing concerns continue
To deal with the influx of COVID spread across NC, Novant Health is increase its testing capabilities, expanding testing at its 125 Baldwin Ave. location in Charlotte to serve patients Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Novant is expanding testing hours in Winston-Salem too, opening a Saturday testing site starting this weekend. More expanded testing hours are expected to launch in Charlotte soon, Novant Health chief nursing officer Nikki Nissen said.
As of Sunday, the most recent date available, Mecklenburg County recorded a testing positivity rate of 27.6% — a far cry from the county’s goal of 5% for seven consecutive days before it would drop its mask mandate.
Charlotte-based Atrium Health is working to expanding testing availability too, Passaretti said Tuesday, but didn’t give details on expansion plans. “Testing is tight no matter where you look,” she said.
Both hospital systems are encouraging people not to use emergency departments simply to find COVID tests.
And StarMed Healthcare, which offers COVID-19 tests and vaccines at multiple drive-thru locations, has needed to shut off lines early or close multiple locations in the past week due to weather, along with staffing and testing shortages.
As of Tuesday, most StarMed testing locations are back on a normal schedule, the company tweeted.
Hospitalizations among kids
Novant Health is also seeing an increase in COVID cases among children, and a slight increase in pediatric hospitalizations.
Close to 100% of the children at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in Charlotte are unvaccinated, Priest said.
“And I know that’s true across the country,” he said. “So now’s the time for our parents if you still have concerns or are unsure about getting your child vaccinated or boosted or unsure if it’s the right thing to do — please reach out to your pediatrician so you can make an informed decision that’s best for you and your family.”
And across the country, COVID cases in children “far exceeds anything we’ve seen in the past or in the pandemic,” Atrium Health pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Amina Ahmed told reporters Tuesday.
Booster doses of COVID vaccines will soon be available for more kids.
On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a Pfizer booster shot for children ages 12 to 15 for the first time.
Local vaccine providers are still waiting on authorization from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before distributing those booster doses.
The FDA also shortened the wait time between the completion of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and the booster dose to five months from six.
Vaccines are especially important as new variants like omicron appear, local doctors say.
That’s because some COVID treatments, include most of the monoclonal antibody treatments, are not effective against the omicron variant, Priest said. And treatment products that are effective against the new variant are in extremely limited supply.
“So again, a full vaccination series with a booster dose is your best bet to avoid the serious complications of COVID infection including hospitalization,” Priest said.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 12:07 PM.
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