Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Feb. 22
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
1,700 new cases reported
At least 2,571,397 coronavirus cases have been reported in North Carolina, and at least 22,296 people have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, Feb. 22, reported 1,716 new COVID-19 cases, compared with 2,060 reported Monday, Feb. 21, 3,567 reported Sunday, Feb. 20, and 4,261 reported Saturday, Feb. 19. The state doesn’t update case counts over weekends.
An additional 148 coronavirus-related deaths were added to the total. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 2,215 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Feb. 22, including 436 adults being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.
As of Feb. 20, the latest day for which data is available, 11.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 75% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 71% are fully vaccinated. Of the state’s total population, about 61% are fully vaccinated and about 65% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
More than three million ”additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of Feb. 22, the health department said. Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data suggests it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.
About 20.6% of new COVID-19 cases in the nation were attributed to the omicron variant while others were attributed to its related “lineages” as of Feb. 19, the latest date for which data is available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New coronavirus subvariant found in NC
The BA.2 subvariant of omicron has been confirmed in North Carolina, according to state health officials.
The subvariant was detected in other laboratories in the state but not identified by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services State Laboratory of Public Health, The News & Observer reported. A DHHS spokesperson said it “represents a very small proportion of sequenced viruses in the United States at this time.”
The BA.2 subvariant is a new mutation of omicron, of which there are already two — BA.1 and B.1.1.
It currently accounts for roughly 3.8% of all new COVID-19 infections nationwide, data show. The N&O reported that it’s “believed to be more infectious and more resistant to immunity than the original omicron variant.”
Wake School Board votes to make masks optional
The Wake County School Board voted on Tuesday, Feb. 22, to make face masks optional starting March 7, but some parents think it should take effect sooner.
Masks will be optional for athletes immediately and at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25, for co-curricular activities that occur outside school hours, The News & Observer reported. The board turned down amendments that would have rescinded the mask mandate for all other school activities on Feb. 28 or March 1.
About 60 people rallied outside the school board’s headquarters demanding the changes take effect now. A statewide protest is also planned for later in the week encouraging students not to wear face masks in schools.
The move comes as legislation passed this week that would let families opt out of face mask requirements. Gov. Roy Cooper has not said whether he will sign the bill. An attorney for the Wake County school board said the first day the law goes into effect is Monday, Feb. 28, which would supersede the board’s vote.
No, ‘super immunity’ after breakthrough COVID case is not possible
North Carolina experienced a record-high number of COVID-19 cases in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals spurred by the omicron variant.
But scientists say those breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated and boosted won’t make them completely immune to the coronavirus, giving them what some have dubbed “super immunity,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did, however, show that infection and death rates were lower among fully vaccinated individuals who had gotten their booster shot than those were just fully vaccinated. And both of those groups were still less likely to get COVID-19 and/or die from the virus than those who are not vaccinated.
A second study determined people who had been infected by the omicron variant gained a “non-permanent and infection-derived immunity against both Omicron and Delta variants of the virus,” according to The Observer.
Not everyone drops masks in Johnston County schools
Students and staff at Johnston County schools weren’t required to wear face masks on Monday, Feb. 21, for the first time in nearly two years — but not everyone is taking them off.
Some parents and teachers told The News & Observer they feared the school board’s decision last week to drop face mask requirements was premature, saying some people are still getting COVID-19. Johnston was the first major school system in the Triangle area to move to optional masking.
“He’ll absolutely keep his mask on,” said Maria Rojas, whose son attends Swift Creek Middle School in Clayton. “I think we’re going to get a lot of new cases after this.”
April Lee, a middle school teacher and president of the Johnston County Association of Educators, said she thinks the school board’s decision was more political than based on health reasons.
As of Thursday, Feb. 17, 55 of the state’s 115 school districts still require face masks, according to the N.C. School Boards Association’s spreadsheet. At least 60 school districts have made them optional.
This story was originally published February 22, 2022 at 1:02 PM.
