Is omicron spreading in the Triangle? Here are the numbers.
New cases of COVID-19 in the Triangle and the rest of North Carolina have surged as the entire country comes to grips with the highly infectious omicron variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention haven’t updated state-specific omicron numbers past late November, but the variant makes up 73% of new cases nationwide and over 95% in the Southeast, which includes North Carolina.
Omicron was first found in North Carolina on Dec. 10, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer reported. On Monday, Durham County reported six omicron cases. UNC Health reported two omicron cases in the second week of December among all its tests administered statewide.
But how much have cases increased in North Carolina and the Triangle since omicron was first detected in late November? Here are the numbers.
Cases and hospitalizations in the Triangle
In the past week, there have been over 3,600 new cases reported in Wake, Durham and Orange counties in total. That’s up from about 2,700 the previous week and 1,760 the week before Thanksgiving.
In the last seven days Wake, the most populous of the three counties, has seen the most new cases: 2,876.
Among hospital reporting systems in the Triangle, there were 207 COVID-related hospitalizations on Tuesday, up from 143 before Thanksgiving. But this covers the Triangle and beyond, including Caswell, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Person, Lee, Robeson, Vance and Warren counties.
In Wake County alone, there are 115 people hospitalized, according to the county.
According to the CDC, Durham and Orange have seen 41 and 30 new hospital admissions in the past week respectively.
Among Wake municipalities in the past week, the ranking for most to least new cases per 100,000 residents is Zebulon, Wake Forest, Wendell, Rolesville, Knightdale, Raleigh, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Apex, Garner, Cary and Morrisville.
Zebulon is also the least vaccinated with a 42% full vaccination rate. Apex is the highest at 76%.
In Wake, Durham and Orange respectively the full vaccination rate as of Wednesday is 70%, 68% and 74%, respectively. Among those eligible for the shot, ages 5 and up, the rates are 74%, 72% and 78%.
‘Fully vaccinated’ definition could change
Currently, fully vaccinated is defined as either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna’s mRNA vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.
But with reports of the original vaccine regimen being less effective against omicron, public health officials are recommending booster shots, Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, among them.
Both Pfizer and Moderna have reported that a third dose of their vaccine provides significantly more protection against omicron.
At a press conference Monday, Cohen said she expects the definition of “fully vaccinated” to expand next year to three doses of Pfizer or Moderna and two doses of Johnson & Johnson, CBS17 reported.
In late November, the CDC expanded their recommendation of boosters to anyone 18 or older. It was originally recommended that just those 65 and older, those immunocomprised and those working in certain professions get their booster shot.
Those who received either mRNA vaccine should get a booster six months after their second dose. And those who got J&J should get a booster two months after.
The CDC currently allows mix-and-match boosters. For example, those who received J&J’s vaccine can get a booster from either Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine.
Statewide
NCDHHS has reported nearly 26,500 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, the fifth consecutive weekly increase. The week before Thanksgiving, the state reported fewer than 12,000 new cases.
As of Wednesday, 1,680 people statewide are hospitalized with COVID. A month ago, that number was under 1,100.
Patients requiring intensive care sits at 444, up from 280 a month ago.
These metrics are still much lower than what was seen during the delta surge when hospitalizations and ICU patients nearly hit 4,000 and 1,000 respectively.
Among COVID-19 tests administered statewide on Monday and Sunday, the latest available data, over 10% returned positive, the first time since September. That’s over twice the 5% that health officials have said is needed to help control the virus.
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 4:34 PM.