ASHEVILLE, NC – May 17, 2023 – The U.S. public health emergency for COVID-19 infection ended on May 11th even though the virus has not gone away. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 Americans died from COVID-19 during the week of May 3rd. Last year it was the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S., down from 3rd in 2021. More and more Americans have developed some immunity to this disease from immunizations and previous infection, reducing the risk of developing severe illness. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.
The end of public health emergency signifies changes in data reporting by the federal and state government. The CDC and North Carolina COVID Dashboards will no longer report COVID-19 Community Levels, Community Transmission Levels, the number of cases and vaccination status. Both websites will tabulate data for COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths, and emergency department visits.
There are fewer Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on May 3rd indicate:
- COVID-19 hospitalizations are unchanged from last week.
- Wastewater monitoring will be reported later in the health report
The Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know:
- COVID-19 is an infectious disease that is caused by a virus
- It can spread rapidly.
- It can affect different people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. It can harm other parts of the body too. Some effects can be long-lasting.
- Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized. The CDC recommends that people in these groups get an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster.
- The updated bivalent COVID vaccine gives the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the new variants.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and the updated bivalent booster.
- Wear a tight-fitting mask for extra protection
- People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
- People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
- If you test positive, see your doctor because your doctor may recommend medical treatment
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
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