Charlotte COVID deaths, hospitalizations are on the rise, top health official says

COVID deaths and hospitalizations are rising in Charlotte at a time of the year cases typically decline, Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Raynard Washington said Friday.

“Transmission is continuing to be high,” Washington said at a noon news conference. “People are in the hospital. COVID is not gone.”

Cases surged each summer in recent years before declining toward fall, Washington said. “Unfortunately, unlike last year, we’re not seeing the declines in COVID activity yet,” he said.

“This time last year, things were starting to cool off a bit, but that’s not happening currently, based on wastewater surveillance as well as what we’re seeing in our hospitals,” he said.

He urged everyone to get the COVID vaccine or the booster recently approved by the FDA and CDC.

His department awaits state case data on the latest number of COVID cases in the county, Washington said.

“But I do know anecdotally that some deaths have occurred in the county,” he said.

COVID deaths also are increasing across the state and nation, he said.

“So it’s important that people take the precautions available to us,” he said. “Get the vaccine. Stay home if you’re sick.”

The new COVID boosters “are starting to make their way into our community,” Washington said. “We are anxiously awaiting our supply here at the Public Health Department.”

He anticipates county health clinics offering the new vaccines within 10 days.

Given the stiflingly hot weather of late, it may seem too early, but Mecklenburg County is entering respiratory viral season, Washington said.

Flu has also begun circulating in the county, “although at very low levels,” he said. Mecklenburg Public Health will offer flu shots soon.

RSV also has appeared earlier than expected, Washington said. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. Cases are rising in ages 19 months and younger, Washington said, and the county will offer RSV vaccines beginning Sept. 15.

On other health fronts:

▪ The county is still experiencing cases of whooping cough in children, although not on the outbreak level, Washington said. Get your kids vaccinated against the highly contagious respiratory tract infection, he urged.

▪ All 500 slots are filled for the health department’s Big Shots Back-to-School Immunization Clinic and health assessments on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center, Washington said. If you didn’t register your child, you can still get on the online waiting list.

▪ Washington said the county has seen no cases of mpox, formerly monkey pox, which the World Health Organization recently declared a “public health emergency of international concern.”

“The risk remains relatively low to the general public in our community,” Washington said.

The county has no cases of the variant of most concern, he said, but consider getting vaccinated if traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, he said. The vaccine is available at the health department.

▪ The health department is starting a public awareness campaign about syphilis, Washington said. He urged pregnant women to get tested for the common sexually transmitted infection.

Cases climbed from eight in 2021 to 12 in 2022 to 13 in 2023, he said. “The growth has slowed a little bit, but there’s still way too many,” he said. “It’s absolutely preventable.”

The county follows up with providers on each case and is holding a second syphilis summit for health care providers, Washington said.

“We can’t police people’s bedrooms,” he said. “But we do work to make sure that we provide education and resources and really take a harm-reduction approach by being able to offer testing and other resources in the community.”

▪ The county has at least one confirmed case of West Nile Virus and at least two suspected cases.