Number of positive Covid-19 cases this time frame - 114
Number of positive cases since March 21, 2020 - 51,423
Number of deaths associated with Covid-19 this time frame - 5
Number of deaths associated with Covid-19 since March 21, 2020 - 572
Number of cases and emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to Covid all declined this week while wastewater viral loads increased slightly. Only 9 out of 100 counties in North Carolina are high in community transmission (orange) - Robeson County is now green (low for transmission) as is all of the southeastern part of the state.
Providers have been working under a waiver that allowed for rapid testing to be performed on asymptomatic individuals. That waiver has expired - asymptomatic rapid testing can only occur using the take home tests. This will eliminate providing tests results for work, pleasure or because a person is a contact. Again, this is for asymptomatic individuals for rapid tests - PCRs can still be submitted. This will change the whole notion of positivity percentage as many of the negatives will not be performed or recorded. Last week Robeson's positivity rate was 6% which ordinarily is good, but much of the context has changed.
It was noted that there are 13 times more cases of seasonal flu this year than last year. The safeguards in play for reducing Covid transmission (masking, distancing, washing hands) helped reduce the number of flu cases last year. As we enter into a more relaxed period and safeguards are dropped, a surge in cases was expected. Typically, one should get the flu vaccination by the end of October to get the maximum protection over the holidays and the coldest weather.
Original source can be found here.
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