Despite the fact that the public health emergency has ended and life has more or less gone back to normal for most people, COVID-19 is still around. And cases are on the rise across Cumberland County.
The county tracks COVID-19 by using wastewater data. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people naturally shed virus material in their waste, which makes wastewater data a great tool for tracing COVID’s presence.
It’s an early warning, said Dr. Jennifer Green, director of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health.
“If the amount of COVID particles in the wastewater goes up, we have traditionally seen increases happen in our hospitals and our emergency rooms down the road,” said Green.
Wastewater data from the Cumberland-Rockfish treatment plant shows a 206% increase in the amount of COVID-19 virus found in wastewater from June 14 and 17 to Aug. 2.
Although cases are rising, the number of hospitalizations remains small. Dr. Samuel Fleishman, chief medical officer for Cape Fear Valley Health, said hospitalizations in Cumberland County have increased from four cases per week to about 12 cases a week over the past three weeks.
What to do to avoid COVID
While not 100% effective at preventing sickness, vaccines “do a good job of keeping us out of the hospital,” said Green. “And that’s the part that we really care about.”
The bivalent vaccine that is available now protects against the original strain of COVIDS-19 as well as the newer Omicron variants, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Green said the vaccine is recommended for anyone 6 months or older. A second dose is available for those over 65 and those who are at high risk or immunocompromised.
A newer vaccine targeting the XBB variant will likely be introduced this fall, according to the FDA. That has created a bit of confusion about which vaccine individuals should get.
Green said this is a conversation people should have with their health care providers, especially those who are at high risk or those who have not gotten a vaccine update in a while.
Some people continued to be hesitant about getting the vaccine because of rampant misinformation spread mostly online.
“The (COVID) vaccines are the most studied vaccines in history,” Green said.
She noted that researchers now have not just good laboratory data but real-life data about the effectiveness of the vaccines.
Beyond getting updated vaccines, wearing a mask is a good way to avoid COVID-19. According to the CDC, high-quality masks like the N-95 and KN-95 masks lower the chances of getting COVID by as much as 83%.
“If you’re in enclosed and closed areas and areas that have low overhangs or tight spaces and you’re close with other people, … you might feel more comfortable masking during those situations,” Fleishman said.
He added that it is still important for anyone who has tested positive or is sick with respiratory symptoms to mask as well.
For those who do get sick, treatments including Paxlovid are available, but the sooner action is taken, the better, doctors advise.
Green said Paxlovid works in moderate cases of COVID but only if the drug is taken within the first few days of symptom onset.
Despite the uptick in cases, people who take the virus seriously can take action to mitigate risk and prevent infection and still enjoy life, Fleishman said.
“I think it’s important to enjoy your family, your friends and those things. But you know, I still think it’s important to be mindful of your health,” said Fleishman.
Free COVID-19 vaccines and rapid tests are available at the Cumberland County Department of Public health, 1235 Ramsey St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday.
Both tests and vaccines are free regardless of insurance status.
Government accountability reporter Char Morrison can be reached at cmorrison@cityviewnc.com.
