New monkeypox cases in Mecklenburg account for over half of NC cases
Mecklenburg County health leaders said Wednesday that 12 cases of monkeypox are confirmed in the county — a total that accounts for over half of all cases statewide.
As the new virus arrives and the BA.5 COVID variant spreads, officials said residents should take precautions against both diseases.
Monkeypox is not as transmissible as COVID, said Dr. Kate Passaretti, an infectious disease expert at Atrium Health. Since it mostly spreads through prolonged close contact with an infected person, the number of potential new infections from one patient are comparatively low.
All 12 patients are now in isolation, County Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said, and contact tracing revealed most infections took place while they were out of state. The disease can be stopped before community spread begins if residents take precautions to avoid infection.
Asking sexual partners if they’ve been exposed, avoiding close contact with potentially infected people and not touching surfaces or clothes they’ve been in contact with are effective prevention measures, Washington said.
“We’re at a critical phase in the monkeypox outbreak where we have to work toward containment,” Washington said. “If you are contacted by the health department, please be honest and transparent with our nurses.”
Information shared with contact tracers is confidential, Washington emphasized.
COVID concerns continue
The COVID variant BA.5, meanwhile, has moved beyond containment. Nationwide, 75% of counties are at medium or high community risk levels, Washington said.
BA.5 accounts for over half of cases reported in Mecklenburg County, but the actual number is likely higher since at-home tests don’t appear in county data. For the week of July 10-16, the county reported 3,314 total cases.
Mecklenburg County is classified as being at medium risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will be reevaluated next Wednesday. Washington said the county could climb to high risk if current trajectories hold.
Hospitalizations have steadily increased in the last month, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. From July 10-16, the seven-day average for hospitalizations was 1,039 — the highest seven-day average since March 5.
Passaretti said Atrium is also seeing more patients in need of intensive care.
“Everybody should weigh their risks if they go out in public, and keep masks handy,” Washington said. “This variant is more transmissible and immune evasive, which of course is of great concern.”
Monkeypox vaccine and testing
The NC Health Departments reported 21 monkeypox cases statewide as of July 20, Washington said. The state agency does not report which counties confirm monkeypox cases, but county departments can report independently.
Mecklenburg County Public Health announced its first case on June 27, four days after the state Health Department reported North Carolina’s first infection in Haywood County. Rowan County identified its first case on July 15.
All 12 of Mecklenburg County’s monkeypox patients are men, Washington said, and most reported sexual contact with other men.
Passaretti emphasized that monkeypox is not exclusively spread through sexual contact, but sex creates the long periods of close contact that allow monkeypox to spread effectively.
The virus has disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men so far, Washington said. He emphasized the virus does not only affect LGBTQ+ residents.
While county health officials are cognizant of the potential stigma messaging specifically for LGBTQ+ men could create, he said it’s also important to warn at-risk communities about the virus.
“It’s a delicate balance to maintain,” Washington said. “It’s important to communicate who’s at risk and who’s mostly being impacted. That is what justifies and supports our decision to make vaccines available.”
Although some patients reported sexual contact, Washington said the department wasn’t certain that’s how they became infected.
Nationwide, the CDC has confirmed 2,108 monkeypox infections.
Monkeypox symptoms are typically flu-like, accompanied by lymph node swelling and rash, according to the county health department.
The virus is commonly spread by “close, sustained physical contact” with other people who are infected, according to the CDC. It can also be contracted by touching items previously in contact with the infectious rash or body fluids.
The virus can enter the body through broken skin, a bite or scratch from an infected animal and contact with bodily fluids.
Precautions like mask wearing and hand washing are effective ways to protect yourself from infection, according to the CDC. Washington said if you are in prolonged close contact with someone or have sex with a new partner, it’s important to ask questions about potential monkeypox risk.
There is a test available for anyone who suspects they may be infected.
The test involves a sample of the virus being collected by swabbing the rash that usually accompanies an infection, according to the CDC. If you suspect you’ve been infected, you should call your doctor and they will evaluate whether to inform the county health department, according to NCDHHS.
Two vaccines are available to prevent illness from monkeypox and smallpox, according to the CDC. Due to limited supply, vaccines in North Carolina are only offered to people who have been exposed or are suspected of having been exposed.
Vaccine doses in Mecklenburg are “critically low,” Washington said. County officials have access to 667 doses. Full treatment requires two shots, so only about 330 residents can be fully protected with current supplies. About 500 people are on the county wait list, Washington said.
Anyone eligible can call the Mecklenburg Health Department at 980-314-9400 to make a vaccination appointment or join the wait list.
Washington said although he understands there is pandemic fatigue from years of COVID precautions, but residents shouldn’t dismiss precautions to protect themselves from monkeypox if at risk.
“What is important... is that there are other health issues that are threats to our health outside of COVID. And it’s important for us to take those health issues very seriously and not dismiss them because they’re new and unknown,” Washington said.
New COVID subvariant spreading
Omicron subvariant BA.5 has rapidly become the most common variant in the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, comprising 44% of active cases.
The severity of BA.5 infections has not been worse than previous strains, but the virus is considered one of the most transmissible strains of COVID. Increased transmission has led to a plateau of infections in Mecklenburg County, Passaretti said. Vaccinations have prevented severe illnesses, however.
Existing vaccines are still effective protection against the new subvariant, Washington said, and help prevent severe illness if infected.
An Omicron-specific vaccine is expected to release this fall, Novant’s Dr. David Priest told the Observer last week. If you are eligible for a booster shot now though, Priest said you should get it as soon as possible instead of waiting for the new vaccine.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 4:40 PM.
