Coronavirus updates for Jan. 5: 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.

21,000 new COVID cases reported

At least 21,800 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, up from 20,511 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 1,585 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, an increase from 1,081 the previous week, according to figures through Dec. 31, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 148, compared to 118 the week before.

The figures were released Wednesday, Jan. 4, two weeks after the health department’s previous update. Officials had delayed releasing last week’s batch of data due to state holidays.

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, many new COVID-19 cases were attributed to the omicron variant’s “lineages” in the two weeks leading up to Dec. 24, the latest time period for which data is available.

COVID cases rising in North Carolina

The number of coronavirus cases is rising in North Carolina as COVID-19 metrics indicate a possible surge on the horizon.

As the state sees an uptick in coronavirus cases, UNC Health reported having 300 hospital patients with COVID-19. That’s almost four times the level it had in mid-November, The News & Observer reported on Jan. 4.

Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease expert at Duke, predicts a surge wouldn’t be as serious as in the past.

“There’s no reason to expect that this would be as bad as last year,” Wolfe said. “These are not markedly new variants.”

Wolfe said many people have immunity to strains of the omicron coronavirus variant that are driving North Carolina’s trends. Meanwhile, subvariants called XBB could become dominant in the upcoming months.

“The XBB subvariants are better at evading natural immunity from prior COVID infections and vaccine-generated immunity than were previous variants,” the N&O reported. “That means those who have had COVID-19 before — even recently — could be vulnerable to reinfections.”

Face masks recommended as COVID level rises in Charlotte area

The Charlotte area is at a “medium” level for COVID-19, meaning people at risk for getting seriously sick are urged to wear face masks inside public places.

People in Mecklenburg County, which is home to Charlotte, also are urged to receive the latest COVID-19 vaccines and seek testing if they feel sick, The Charlotte Observer reported Dec. 29.

Mecklenburg reached the “medium” level after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considered coronavirus cases and hospital patient data.

Diabetes drug could help patients avoid long COVID, data show

A medication used for diabetes could help lower the risk of long-term COVID-19 symptoms, a new drug trial finds.

The trial included more than 1,100 patients who had gotten a recent COVID-19 diagnosis. Some participants received placebos, and others took drugs such as metformin, which is often prescribed for people with diabetes.

“The rate of long COVID was 42% lower among those who took metformin for the trial,” McClatchy News reported on Dec. 29.

Also when compared to the control group, the rates of long COVID were close or higher for those who took two other drugs — ivermectin and fluvoxamine, according to pre-print study results.

More information about the trial, which involved researchers based at U.S. universities, is available here.

NC researchers study COVID-related loss of smell

Some people continue to experience a loss of smell long after getting a COVID-19 infection, and North Carolina researchers may have figured out why.

A team at Duke studied two dozen tissue samples and reported finding that people who had lost their smell long-term had inflammation in part of their noses.

“I’m not talking about sort of this rip-roaring, severe nasal inflammation where you’re super congested, blowing your nose and feeling like you’re sick,” said Dr. Bradley Goldstein, a neuroscientist. “It’s more at a local microscopic level.”

The findings could give way to drug options and treatment for other lingering COVID-19 symptoms.

“Long COVID can affect lots of different organs in our body,” he said. “It’s possible that a very similar process is happening in those other places.”

Read more about the COVID-related research here.

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