Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Feb. 23
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
3,400 new cases reported
At least 2,574,867 coronavirus cases have been reported in North Carolina, and at least 22,390 people have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 23, reported 3,470 new COVID-19 cases, compared with 1,716 reported Tuesday, Feb. 22.
An additional 94 coronavirus-related deaths were added to the total. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 2,123 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Feb. 23, including 417 adults being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.
As of Feb. 21, the latest day for which data is available, 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 3 million ”additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of Feb. 23, 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.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools to end mask mandate
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board voted unanimously on Tuesday, Feb. 22, to lift the face mask mandate for students and staff, falling in line with dozens of other districts that have dropped the requirement over the last week.
Masks will no longer be required in school starting March 7, The Charlotte Observer reported, but they will still have to be worn on buses per federal regulations.
Superintendent Earnest Winston said the feedback from principals, teachers and students on lifting the mandate was mixed. He ultimately recommended the district move forward with the decision, saying individuals who want to wear a face mask can continue to do so.
“During almost two years of facing the impact of COVID in our schools and community, we have learned a lot about this virus,” Winston said. “To put it in simple terms, we are going to have to live with COVID. Fortunately, we have more tools in our arsenal to protect ourselves and others.”
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.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 7:04 AM.
