Coronavirus updates for March 2: 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.

7,000 new COVID cases reported

At least 7,285 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, down from 9,392 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 707 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, a drop from 762 the previous week, according to figures through Feb. 25, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 95, compared with 102 the week before.

The figures — which were released Wednesday, March 1 — 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 68% 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 22% 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 omicron strains in the two weeks leading up to Feb. 18, the latest time period for which data is available.

Vanity can play role in face mask wearing, study finds

As COVID-19 continues to spread, research suggests self-image can play a role in whether a person wears face coverings.

Researchers studied the intentions behind mask usage, and the findings “demonstrated that individuals with high (vs. low) self-perceived attractiveness were less willing to wear a mask, due to a weaker endorsement of the belief that mask-wearing enhances their perceived attractiveness.”

Health officials have said face masks are one tool that people can use to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

More information about the recent face mask research is available here.

Cardiovascular deaths peaked as COVID losses did, study finds

Cardiovascular-related deaths peaked at the same time the nation’s COVID-19 losses did, a new study finds.

Now, researchers have ideas why deaths from ischemic heart disease and other conditions rose in the first two years of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic strained health care resources, and people may have avoided going to medical facilities due to concerns about COVID-19, according to findings published Feb. 27.

“A nationwide or regional lockdown may lead to increased physical inactivity, poor dietary intake, interruption of long-term disease management, income loss and so on,” researchers wrote in a journal called Nature Cardiovascular Research.

A team from Hong Kong and Shanghai came up with the potential explanations after the number of U.S. cardiovascular deaths reported early in the pandemic was more than 90,000 higher than expected, McClatchy News reported.

Read more about the research here.

At-home test for COVID and flu gets emergency use authorization

A tool that can help people determine whether they have COVID-19 or the flu may soon be available over the counter.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the dual test, which can be administered at home with a nasal swab, The Charlotte Observer reported.

The authorization is “a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home,” said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The agency called the test “the first over-the-counter at-home diagnostic test that can differentiate and detect influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.”

As of Feb. 27, test manufacturer Lucira Health hadn’t announced the cost of the test or when it could be available in the United States.

COVID relief benefit ends as some in NC struggle to afford food

A coronavirus relief benefit expired as some in North Carolina have trouble making ends meet.

The U.S. Congress’ latest budget called for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to end emergency food-related aid for low-income people. The change went into effect March 1, after lawmakers approved the expanded food stamp benefits in 2020 to help offset coronavirus-related costs.

“We’re bracing for the worst,” said Tina Postel, director of the nonprofit Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays. “We have a plentiful warehouse, but we’ll burn through that really fast if the need continues to stay high or even increase due to the lack of this emergency allocation.”

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has said “the average person on the program will be cut from $8.12 to $5.45 per day,” The News & Observer reported on Feb. 27.

Read more about the changes to pandemic-related benefits here.

Coronavirus infection may make autoimmune diagnosis more likely, study finds

A coronavirus infection may increase the chances that a person who didn’t have an autoimmune disease develops one, a new study suggests.

To come up with the findings, a German-based team said it studied 30 different autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. When a patient has one of those conditions, the immune system attacks the person’s body.

“It may be about 43% more likely that someone without an autoimmune disease will develop one of the 30 autoimmune diseases after a COVID-19 infection,” McClatchy News reported on Feb. 24.

Those who already had an autoimmune disease saw a smaller chance of developing a second one — “23% more likely than those who don’t catch COVID-19,” McClatchy News reported, based on results from a preprint study.

More information about the COVID-related study is available here.

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