ASHEVILLE, NC – September 6, 2023 – The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard.
- For the week ending on August 19th, hospital admissions are at a low level in every county in North Carolina and more than 96% of the counties in the U.S. Buncombe County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are low and have increased from the previous week.
- For the week ending on August 26th, about 3% of the deaths in North Carolina last week were due to COVID, the 3rd lowest level of 6 groups.
- Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina for the week ending on August 26th. This represents about 2% of all ER visits, the 2nd lowest of 5 levels.
Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on August 23rd is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.
- The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at a red level representing the highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 80th and 100th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
- The 15-day rate of change of number of viral gene copies in each water sample is increasing from the previous week, at 100% or greater, the highest of the 3 groups for positive rate of change.
In summary, wastewater levels, emergency department visits, and deaths are up from the previous week.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know that:
- COVID-19 can affect people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. 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 because it gives added protection.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:
- Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines
- For extra protection, wear an efficient medical grade mask
- 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, your doctor may recommend medical treatment
More and more Americans have developed some immunity to COVID-19 from immunizations and previous infection. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org