Wake County surpasses 100 coronavirus deaths. What has caused this month’s spike?

July has brought Wake County a serious spike in COVID-19 related deaths, adding more to the pandemic’s death toll this month than it had for the first four months combined.

The state’s Department of Health and Human Services has added 58 deaths to Wake County’s total total over July’s first 24 days, pushing the total for the pandemic into triple-digits at 104.

On June 30, the state listed Wake County with 46 deaths attributed to coronavirus since the state’s first case was reported in early March. That means the county’s death toll has increased by 126% this month.

The only North Carolina counties with more deaths, Mecklenburg (183) and Guilford (135), aren’t seeing their totals grow nearly as fast as Wake.

Mecklenburg’s death toll has only grown by 25.3% during July, adding 37 deaths to the 146 it had on June 30, according to daily DHHS death count totals. Guilford’s increase has been 18.4%, from 114 on June 30 to 135.

The statewide death toll has grown by 30% this month, reaching 1,746 on Friday after being at 1,343 on June 30.

When asked why Wake’s death toll has grown so rapidly this month, state and Wake County health officials offered no explanation, with each referring back to the other.

When reached for comment on the rising trend of deaths, Wake County’s communications consultant John Hamlin directed The News & Observer to the state, saying the county wouldn’t have information beyond the numbers.

An email sent by the N&O to Dr. Mandy Cohen, DHHS secretary, received a response from her communications staff to ask the county for more information about deaths.

But data shows recent COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities, including nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional institutions, continue to fuel the numbers.

Of Wake County’s 104 deaths during the pandemic, 59% of the deaths are people age 75 or older. People between the ages of 65-74 accounted for another 21% of Wake County deaths. Combined that’s four out of every five deaths.

Only six Wake County COVID-19 deaths are people younger than 50, and all of them are at least 25.

Wake’s trend of deaths among those 65 and older is in line with what the state has seen as a whole. Information from the DHHS on Friday showed 57% of the state’s deaths are people 75 and older while another 21% is among people aged 65-74.

Wake County’s nursing home outbreaks

Wake County has the second most active nursing home outbreaks (26) behind Mecklenburg County’s 36.

DHHS declares an outbreak when a congregate living facility has two or more confirmed COVID-19 cases. DHHS also reported six outbreaks in Durham County and three in Orange County.

State health officials update outbreaks in congregate care facilities twice per week on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, detailing the number of cases and deaths among staff and residents for each facility.

Tuesday’s update showed 16 outbreaks in nursing homes and seven more in residential care facilities for 23 total. The number of deaths attributed to those 23 outbreaks was 32, though the DHHS dashboard doesn’t show if all those deaths occurred in July.

Friday afternoon’s update showed 24 total outbreaks — 17 nursing homes and seven residential care facilities.

Earlier this week, The News & Observer obtained completed death certificates from county officials for 34 COVID-related deaths this month. Of them, 13 were Wake County residents aged 90 or older.

The most serious active outbreak in a Wake County nursing home is at Knightdale’s Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare, where 81 cases have been reported among staff and residents. All 14 of that outbreak’s deaths have come from residents.

Sunnybrook Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh has seen six residents die from COVID-19 during its current outbreak. The total number of staff and residents infected is 48.

The Laurels of Forest Glen in Garner has an active outbreak that includes 74 cases among staff and residents. Two residents have died.

Statewide, the health department reports 156 active outbreaks at nursing homes and 109 at residential care facilities.

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 1:46 PM.