Reported coronavirus deaths in NC increase. Where do hospitalizations stand?
Hours before North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced his decision to keep the state in Phase Two of its coronavirus restrictions, some of the key metrics used in his decision-making remained of concern.
Cooper had said he was going to rely on COVID-19 data from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services in making his announcement, which included a statewide mandate on masks or face coverings. Cooper’s order extended Phase Two until at least July 17.
The DHHS reported Wednesday there were 906 hospitalizations in the state related to COVID-19, a slight decrease from the 915 total on Tuesday, a one-day high since the pandemic reached the state in early March.
The state’s reported death total Wednesday from the coronavirus was 1,271, an increase of 20 deaths since Tuesday..
There were 1,721 reported new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday — a marked increase from 848 cases on Tuesday — that pushed the total to 56,174.
There were 17,457 completed tests in the reporting period, according to DHHS data released Wednesday. The percentage of positive cases was 8%, the DHHS reported.
Before Cooper’s announcement Wednesday, comments were made Tuesday in Washington, D.C., by Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert serving on the White House coronavirus task force.
Appearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Fauci was asked by North Carolina Rep. G. K. Butterfield about an increase in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Fauci said the numbers could not be explained only by an increase in the availability of tests for COVID-19, adding, “When you get an increase in the percentage of tests that are positive, that’s an indication that you do have additional infections. When you have those kinds of increases, you must implement on the ground as effectively as possible the manpower, the system, the tests to do identification, isolation and contact tracing to try and blunt that surge of cases.”
Fauci said North Carolina risks an “insidious increase” in community spread. of the virus.
Younger adults could be spreading coronavirus
One COVID-19 metric of interest for a number of health officials is the rising number of cases among younger adults.
The daily DHHS report for North Carolina includes a demographic breakdown by age groups. Those age 25 to 49 account for 45% of the positive cases (25,292) although only 5 percent of the deaths (62).
While the death total remains low for the age group, those people could be spreading the disease to parents or relatives who are older or to those with underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus.
Those age 65 and older account for 80 percent of the deaths.
Scenes such as large groups of younger people gathering at Raleigh’s Glenwood South entertainment district on weekends, or in the marches and gatherings protesting systemic racism and police violence has caught the attention of health officials.
“We’re seeing our new cases really being driven largely by folks who are younger, those under the age of 49, and we are seeing a disproportionate impact particular in our Latino and Hispanic communities,” DHHS secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said at Monday’s press conference. “That is certainly an area of focus.”
The state has ramped up testing for the virus, adding many additional testing sites --- and Cohen said that must continue.
“What we’re seeing more and more with the virus is that people are spreading their germs of COVID-19 when they feel completely fine,” she said. “They don’t know they have it and spread it. ... We have said if you attended a protest or other mass gathering you should get tested.”
‘Masks, masks and more masks’
Dr. Myron Cohen, an infectious disease expert with UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine, said wearing face coverings and masks is important to slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
He spoke to reporters at a news conference Wednesday morning. He is not related to Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state DHHS secretary.
Cooper’s mask mandate goes into effect Friday at 5 p.m.. Some cities, including Raleigh and Durham, already require masks.
“Masks, masks and more masks need to be emphasized,” Myron Cohen said Wednesday morning.
Research has shown that paper masks reduce virus transmission probabilities 75-80%, he said. The coronavirus moves effectively indoors, he said.
“Unmasked indoors creates an environment for transmission” where the virus can find a host, he said. “Another feature of public health behavior is to create really pretty strong constraints on indoor, unmasked congregation events.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 1:30 PM.
