Coronavirus updates for July 28: 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.
More than 32,000 new cases reported
At least 32,156 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, up from 28,950 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 1,290 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, up from 1,102 the previous week, according to data through July 23, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 125, an increase from 120 the week before.
The figures were released Wednesday, July 27, about four months after health officials started adjusting information on their coronavirus dashboard and publishing weekly COVID-19 data. The data had previously been released almost every day.
Roughly 77% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 73% are fully vaccinated. Of the state’s total population, about 62% are fully vaccinated and about 67% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination metrics to the nearest whole number.
More than 3.8 million “additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of July 27, 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 July 16, the latest time period for which data is available.
Wake plans to end drive-thru COVID tests
Wake County, home to Raleigh, is set to end its drive-thru COVID-19 testing program.
The testing sites will officially close on July 29, more than a month after officials announced they would scale back testing efforts at county-run sites.
Wake County Public Health has given more than 1 million tests at no cost since July 2020, according to spokesperson Leah Holdren.
“Before there was a vaccine, there was just testing, and it was a lifesaving tool for keeping people who were sick or exposed to the virus from spreading it to their loved ones and our vulnerable populations,” Holdren said.
The change came after Wake spent $131 million on tests and was also seeing lower demand.
Those seeking tests can pick up at-home kits in person or order them through the mail. Appointments and drive-thru services are available at other places in the area, The News & Observer reported.
Read more details about the current Wake County testing options here.
NC woman accused of selling fake COVID drug
A North Carolina woman accused of selling a fake COVID-19 drug has entered a guilty plea.
Diana Daffin of Charlotte sent the product HAMPL to an undercover agent and sold it to customers after receiving a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier in the pandemic, according to federal prosecutors.
Officials said the drug claimed to provide “a stronger immunity against CV” and “immunity for humans,” which wasn’t true.
Daffin, who owned Savvy Holistic Health, didn’t immediately respond to The Charlotte Observer’s phone message on July 27. Her sentencing is scheduled for November.
COVID vaccine not among those required for Charlotte students
The COVID-19 vaccine isn’t among the shots that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students need to take ahead of the upcoming school year.
While COVID-19 vaccine doses aren’t required for school, they are available for children 6 months and older. Charlotte-area health officials will be offering them at vaccination events along with shots to help protect against other diseases.
The required vaccinations and details about exemptions are listed here.
NC researchers demonstrate tool can be used to treat COVID in animals
North Carolina researchers have shown that a tool used to edit genes can also “prevent and treat COVID-19” in animals, results show.
The group of scientists working under professor Qianben Wang at the Duke School of Medicine said they believe the technology could be promising for people. Though further research would be required, the technique could be used to treat people who might have compromised immune systems, The News & Observer reported.
The results were published July 26 in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.
During their research, the group used gene-editing to stop COVID-19 from getting into the cells of mice and end “the virus in mice who were already infected,” the N&O reported.
Half of NC counties at high COVID risk level
Half of North Carolina’s 100 counties are at high risk for COVID-19, meaning people living in them are urged to wear face masks in public.
As of July 24, the state had 50 counties marked at the highest level on a map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total was up from 41 counties the week before, The News & Observer reported.
Health officials use coronavirus case counts and hospitalization metrics to determine the highest-risk counties, which are labeled in orange on the CDC’s map. People living in those areas with a risk of getting seriously sick from COVID-19 might want to avoid going inside places that aren’t essential or consider what they would do if they became infected, according to the N&O.
Near Charlotte, Cabarrus, Gaston and Rowan counties were marked at the highest risk level as of July 25.
In the Triangle, orange-colored counties included Chatham, Durham, Harnett and Orange. Franklin, Johnston and Wake counties are in yellow, which means they were in the medium risk category, data shows.
The lowest-risk counties are labeled in green. Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease expert at Duke, said people in those counties may not want to stop taking precautions.
“I would not be reassured if I’m the transplant patient that never got the vaccine and I sit in a green county,” he said.
BA.5 subvariant makes up most Charlotte-area cases
A strain of the omicron coronavirus variant now constitutes most COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte.
BA.5, which is believed to be one of the most transmissible subvariants, makes up over half of the county’s cases. But the portion could be higher if data from at-home tests was included, The Charlotte Observer reported on July 20.
The figures come as hospitalizations have been rising, and more Atrium Health patients are requiring intensive care.
“Everybody should weigh their risks if they go out in public, and keep masks handy,” said Raynard Washington, Mecklenburg health director. “This variant is more transmissible and immune evasive, which of course is of great concern.”
As some people grow tired of coronavirus-related measures, the county is also urging people at risk of contracting monkeypox to be cautious. More information about monkeypox’s spread in Charlotte is available here.
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates for July 28: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week."
