ASHEVILLE, NC – April 17, 2024 – Respiratory infections, like COVID-19, influenza and RSV, are characterized by being more prevalent during the winter months. With the recent onset of spring, the winter surge of respiratory infections has passed. However, over the past 3 years, COVID-19 infections have also surged in August. Therefore, the weekly update will continue to report on COVID-19 and restart influenza and RSV updates in the fall.
The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 6th shows:
- Hospital admission levels are low in every county in North Carolina, including Buncombe County. They are low in more than 99% of the counties in the U.S. and less than 1% at medium and high Admissions have decreased in the U.S. and North Carolina from the previous week.
- Between 1-9 deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the lowest level of 6 groups.
- Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina. This is about 1% of all ER visits, the lowest level of 5 groups
Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard for the week ending on April 3rd shows:
- The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at an orange level representing the 2nd highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 60th and 80th 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 increased from the previous week, between 10% to 99%, the middle level of 3 groups for a positive rate of change.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org