People hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina down nearly 400 in past week
North Carolina reported 3,010 people hospitalized COVID-19 on Wednesday, down from the 3,400 reported a week ago.
The decrease comes after hospitalizations spiked for weeks, reaching a delta surge peak of 3,815 on Sept. 9. The amount reached a pandemic high of 3,990 in mid-January.
The delta variant is a mutation of the coronavirus that’s more than twice as contagious as the original strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 97% of sequenced virus in North Carolina is delta, the latest CDC data show.
Of those hospitalized, 838 are being treated in intensive care units, down from the pandemic peak of 955 on Aug. 29 and Sept. 14.
The vaccine is the best protection against severe COVID-19, state data show. A DHHS analysis from late August found that those unvaccinated are more than four times as likely to contract COVID-19 and 15 times more likely to die due to the disease, The News & Observer reported.
As of Wednesday, 53% of all North Carolinians and 62% of those eligible, ages 12 and up, are fully vaccinated. Nationally those rates are 56% and 65% respectively.
Third-dose boosters of the Pfizer vaccine are now being offered in Triangle, The N&O reported.
Throughout the delta surge, deaths have spiked. So far in September, now the third deadliest month of the pandemic in North Carolina, 1,476 people have died due to the virus. In August, 1,189 died, while in all of June and July combined, 381 North Carolinians died.
As of Wednesday, 689,534 Americans, including 16,444 North Carolinians, have died due to the virus.
Wednesday’s new case count
DHHS reported 4,789 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Over the last week, the state has reported about 4,800 per day.
New case rates also have been dropping as the state comes down from the delta surge, The N&O reported.
Among the tests reported Monday, the latest data available, 9.7% returned positive. Over the last week of available data, 8.8% returned positive per day.
State health officials want that rate at 5% or lower. It’s dropped from the over 12% reported on Sept. 1.