Community transmission of coronavirus is now ‘widespread’ in NC. What does that mean?
Community transmission of the coronavirus is now “widespread” in North Carolina, reaching a new phase in the spread of the disease.
North Carolina is among 25 states classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having widespread transmission as of Thursday.
Community spread, or community transmission, happens when people contract the virus but don’t know how or when they got it.
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper initially announced the presence of community spread in Wilson County on March 19, about two weeks after the state reported its first COVID-19 case.
Since then, community spread has been reported elsewhere in the state, including in Mecklenburg and Wake Counties, which have a combined total of nearly 700 reported coronavirus cases as of Thursday.
More than 1,700 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in North Carolina as of Thursday, and 15 people have died. Cases have been reported in more than 80 of the state’s 100 counties.
Before community transmission was first announced in North Carolina, all cases had been linked to out-of-state travel or contact with people who had the disease, The News & Observer reported at the time.
“This is expected, but still an unfortunate benchmark in this pandemic,” Cooper said on March 19.
A state experiencing community spread is in the “acceleration phase” of a pandemic, meaning cases are rising up a curve, according to health officials.
Community transmission can be slowed by shutting down schools, practicing social distancing and other measures, the CDC says.
To help stop the spread of the virus in North Carolina, Cooper issued a stay-at-home order, which prohibits non-essential travel. The state’s K-12 public school buildings are closed until at least May 15.
“The duration and severity of each pandemic phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response,” according to the CDC.
The CDC says the other states with “widespread” community transmission include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
