COVID-19 cases slightly up, but new vaccine is on the way – Spectrum News

RALEIGH, N.C. New vaccines are on the horizon in North Carolina, just as COVID-19 cases are slightly up and schoolhouse doors are getting ready to reopen.

COVID-19 isnt getting more dangerous. Its getting more catchy, which makes sense, said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease physician with the UNC medical system.

However, the consequences of catching the virus are not the same as they were at the beginning of the pandemic.

For ... most of us, catching COVID-19 doesnt mean that we are going to end up on oxygen or a ventilator, Wohl said.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-contracted wastewater testing site for Swain and Jackson counties revealed percentiles of COVID-19 ranging from 80-100% in the last two weeks.

Masking, handwashing and social distancing are all still regarded as great tools to stay well, but better indoor ventilation for cleaner air circulations is more of an emphasis, Wohl also said.

COVID-19 is not as deadly as it once was, because most people are immunized, either through infection or a vaccine, but the virus itself is equally, if not more transmissible, Wohl explained.

And there will be updated shots very soon that will target the variants circulating now, he said.

Wohl added this is good timing with year-round schools coming back from their shorter summer break.

How the virus is tracked in North Carolina is changing shape too and shifting away from state-run dashboards. Wohl said wastewater monitoring still provides a great tool for following how the virus may be changing.

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COVID-19 cases slightly up, but new vaccine is on the way - Spectrum News