Coronavirus updates for Jan. 19: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week
We’re tracking information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back every Thursday for updates.
14,000 COVID cases added
At least 14,290 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, down from 21,405 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 1,363 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, a drop from 1,662 the previous week, according to figures through Jan. 14, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 190, compared to 201 the week before.
The figures — which were released Wednesday, Jan. 18 — show roughly 78% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 74% have finished an initial round of vaccine doses. Of the state’s total population, about 63% finished their initial round and about 67% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination metrics to the nearest whole number.
“Out of all people who have finished their initial vaccines in North Carolina, 59% have been vaccinated with at least one booster, and 20% with an updated omicron booster,” the health department wrote on its website.
Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data shows it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant. Across the state, virtually all new COVID-19 cases were attributed to the omicron variant’s “lineages” in the two weeks leading up to Jan. 7, the latest time period for which data is available.
‘Kraken’ omicron variant strain spreads in Charlotte area
A contagious new strain of the omicron coronavirus variant is spreading through the Charlotte area as it experiences a slight increase in COVID-19 cases.
The subvariant XBB.1.5 — which also has been given the mythological nickname Kraken — made up about 9% of Mecklenburg County coronavirus cases from Dec. 23-28, The Charlotte Observer reported on Jan. 17.
“XBB is present and is representing an increased share of the sequence results but other omicron variants are still more prevalent in Mecklenburg County today,” health officials wrote in a statement. “We believe this will change and we do expect XBB variants will be detected more frequently in the future, based on what is being reported in other parts of the country.”
The news comes as the county reported 2,313 coronavirus cases in the week that ended Dec. 31, an increase from 2,262 the week before. As cases rise, the Mecklenburg County Health Department urges people to wear high-quality face masks inside public buildings, get the COVID-19 vaccines they’re eligible to receive and consider taking other precautions, the Observer reported.
When do long COVID symptoms end? What a study found
People can experience long COVID-19 symptoms months after an infection, and now a study finds a common time when those lingering symptoms end, McClatchy News reported.
Researchers studied almost 2 million patients in Israel and found long-term effects were “more prominent” within six months of a COVID-19 infection. The symptoms then began to wane, tapering off within a year, according to findings shared Jan. 11.
Also in the study, results suggest that “mild disease does not lead to serious or chronic long term morbidity in the vast majority of patients.”
More details about the study, which was published in The BMJ journal, can be found here.
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