The COVID news this week follows the good news/bad news trend that the pandemic is known for.
The indicators on the COVID-19 charts and graphs are pointing down – just a little.
According to the World Health Organization, cases across the globe fell 24 percent for the week ending May 30.
After a recent peak of 110,386 on May 26, the U.S. seven-day average fell to 97,611 on June 3.
North Carolina numbers look similar. The state’s seven-day average fell from 4,155 for the week ending May 31 to 2,597 for the week ending June 6. The BA.2 variant accounts for 97 percent of cases in the state.
Jackson County is following the trend. After posting 68 cases for the week ending May 21, the county reported 58 for the week ending May 28. The seven-day average, which had fallen to two in mid-April, is up to 12 as of June 5.
With 10,031 cases total and a 2020 population of 43,435, almost 25 percent of county residents have suffered COVID.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all the counties west of Buncombe exhibit low levels of community transmission except Swain, which is at medium.
Two new Omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading. Like the previous variants following the Omicron spike, symptoms are mostly mild, like a bad cold or suffering allergies. Fatigue, congestion, cough and a runny nose are the most common symptoms.
More serious COVID symptoms have been reported, including fever or chills, shortness of breath, muscle or body aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The variants were first detected in South Africa and have now shown up across the U.S.
Their new trick is to bypass the body’s immune system and the antibodies created by the COVID-19 vaccine, which could lead to more breakthrough cases. BA.4 and BA.5 are more likely to re-infect those who have had COVID and/or have been vaccinated and boosted.
Health experts believe these two new variants could fuel a possible fall/winter surge, thanks to fading immunity from vaccines and prior infection, relaxed restrictions and the rise of the more transmissible variants.
Still, health officials on every level encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted.
The Jackson County Department of Public Health is constantly updating its services and information and offers vaccines onsite at 538 Scotts Creek Road.
“Right now we are preparing for the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for those under 5 years old,” said Anna Lippard, health department spokeswoman. “We anticipate that we could be vaccinating those under 5 by the end of June. We are also seeing some children 5 to 11 years old coming in for their booster doses.
“During the recent Omicron surge, those who were boosted were seven times less likely to be hospitalized and 21 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated.”
Booster shots are available at the health department and are free regardless of insurance or immigration status.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available to everyone 5 years and older in North Carolina. The Jackson County Department of Public Health offers Moderna, Johnson & Johnson Janssen, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and are able to vaccinate those 5 years and older.
Booster shots are now available to all North Carolinians 5 and older.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC have authorized and recommended “booster” vaccine shots to provide continued protection.
Folks should get a booster if they are 5 or older, received a second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.
Children and teens ages 5-17 can only receive the Pfizer booster. Parental consent is required. Adults 18 or older can get any brand.
The JCDPH encourages residents to speak with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist with questions about which of the boosters is right for them.
