ASHEVILLE, NC – January 10, 2024 – Respiratory viral infections like COVID-19, influenza (the flu) and RSV can spread through holiday gatherings and travel. However, the COVID pandemic has made us aware that we can take steps to reduce spreading respiratory viruses. Therefore, persons who are more susceptible to getting sick like older adults and the immunocompromised have become more cautious.
The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on December 30th
- Hospital admission levels are low in about 60% of the counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and high in 5%. They are low in about half of the counties in the U.S. and high in about 10%. Admissions have increased in the U.S. by about 20% and in North Carolina by 30% and decreased in Buncombe County from the previous week.
- About 3.0% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 3rd lowest level of 6 groups.
- Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are moderate in North Carolina. This represents about 4.0% of all ER visits, the 3rd lowest of 5 levels and a moderate increase from the previous week.
Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on December 20th 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 the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased from the previous week, at -99% to -10%, the lowest level of 2 groups for a negative rate of change.
The CDC’s weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending on December 30th indicates that levels are high and very high for every southern state from California to the East coast. North Carolina is at the highest of 13 levels.
For the week ending on December 30th, the CDC reports that the 3-week average for the percent positivity for RSV PCR tests in North Carolina has climbed to more than 10% from November 4th to December 16th reaching a peak of almost 15% around Thanksgiving. The most recent report on the week of December 30th shows that percent positivity is less than 7%.
The weekly North Carolina Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard was last updated for the week ending on January 3rd. Emergency room visits for people with respiratory virus symptoms increased by more than 20%. Hospital admissions continue to increase for both COVID and the flu. There were more admissions for the flu than COVID for each of the past 2 weeks.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC director, told Yahoo Life, if you are starting to feel sick with a cough, sore throat or fever: get tested, get treatment, and stay home.
Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells USA Today.com that COVID-19 cases should increase over the winter as they have the past 3 years. The risk of transmission can also increase during the upcoming holiday season when many people get together indoors.
There is a surge of respiratory disease as people spend more time indoors during the winter months and due to an increase in indoor gatherings and travel during the holidays. However, more and more Americans have developed some immunity from vaccination and previous infection. Therefore, we have to protect at-risk groups who remain susceptible to getting severely ill.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org