Coronavirus updates for Nov. 10: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week

Almost 8,000 new COVID cases reported

At least 7,924 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, down from 8,604 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 583 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, a drop from 625 the previous week, according to figures through Nov. 5, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 72, compared to 74 the week before.

The figures were released Wednesday, Nov. 9, more than seven months after health officials started adjusting information on their coronavirus dashboard and publishing weekly COVID-19 data. The figures had been updated almost every day.

Roughly 78% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 73% 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.

More than 3.9 million “first original booster/additional doses” have been administered in North Carolina as of Nov. 9, the health department said. 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 Oct. 29, the latest time period for which data is available.

Plaxlovid could reduce risk of some long COVID symptoms, study finds

A pill used to treat COVID-19 could lower patients’ risks of developing some long-term symptoms of the coronavirus, a new study finds.

Researchers studied thousands of coronavirus patients who did or didn’t take the drug Plaxlovid within five days of receiving a positive test. The team reported finding that those who used Plaxlovid had a “26% reduced risk” of having some symptoms of long COVID, McClatchy News reported on Nov. 7.

Long COVID symptoms are felt four weeks or more after a COVID-19 infection and may include fatigue, heart problems and other impacts.

“Paxlovid reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 in the acute phase, and now, we have evidence that it can help reduce the risk of long COVID,” study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly wrote in a news release.

Read more about the Plaxlovid study here. As experts continue to study COVID-19, The News & Observer also has published an online guide to vetting scientific research articles.

Triangle-area town to continue monitoring for COVID

A North Carolina town will continue monitoring its wastewater for COVID-19 — and could expand testing to monkeypox and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Cary, just west of Raleigh, will work with the Wake County Public Health Department to keep testing for COVID-19. Early signs of the virus that causes COVID can be found in wastewater, helping to give insight into its spread.

“It gives the health officials a snapshot of what’s going on in the community, as opposed to having to collect information individually from patients,” said Donald Smith, Wastewater Collection System manager for Cary.

The extended agreement also could allow Cary to keep an eye out for signs of new viruses over the next three years, The News & Observer reported on Nov. 4.

Booster may impact omicron reinfection, study finds

A third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine may lower a person’s protection against getting reinfected with the omicron coronavirus variant, new research finds.

Instead, it’s possible that receiving two vaccine doses and then getting an omicron infection protects more against becoming infected another time, according to results from a preprint study.

Researchers said imprinting could be a reason why the findings showed “three-dose vaccination was associated with reduced protection compared to that of two-dose vaccination.” Imprinting happens when a person is exposed to a virus through an infection or a vaccine, impacting how the immune system will respond in the future, McClatchy News reported.

“This finding suggests that the immune response against the primary omicron infection was compromised by differential immune imprinting in those who received a third booster dose, consistent with emerging laboratory science data,” researchers wrote.

Read more about the COVID-19 booster study here.