Cases of COVID-19 are still on a slow, steady rise across the nation, state and county. The good news is that worldwide numbers show a big decrease. The week ending May 16 showed 3,818,452 cases reported across the globe with a drop to 2,335,314 for the week ending May 23.
In Jackson County, new case reports fell to five for the week ending April 2. Since then, weekly cases have numbered 16, 11, 19, 36 and now 60 for the week ending May 21, a 12-fold increase in about 56 days. The 60 cases represent the highest case count since the 72 reported for the week ending Feb. 26.
Jackson County Public Schools report no student cases system-wide and no staff cases.
Statewide, the seven-day average fell to 175 on April 11 and had risen to 1,657 on May 1, up to 2,639 on May 15 and now 4,122 for the week ending May 29.
The seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is more than six times what it was this time last year, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Data show the nation’s seven-day average was 119,725 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year.
COVID-related deaths are down from last year, credited to increased immunity from vaccines and prior infections and the availability of various treatments.
Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, last month said Americans should be “preparing right now for a potential surge this summer across the Southern United States.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map shows about half the country with low COVID-19 community levels, with the rest medium and high levels.
The CDC also released a study showing that 20 percent of adult COVID survivors under 65 years old have suffered at least one health condition considered to be “long COVID.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved the Pfizer booster shot for children ages 5-11 years old.
The CDC recommends the shot for kids who received the initial round of vaccinations more than over five months prior. CDC data show that in May, more than 15,000 children in that age group were hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a third round of free at-home COVID-19 tests at www.covid.gov/tests. Those in need of assistance with the process can call 800-232-0233.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization labeled monkeypox a “moderate” public health risk.
The Jackson County Department of Public Health received its first communication from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services last week.
“We received a provider memo,” said Anna Lippard of the health department. “The bottom line from the call was that, they are still learning and adapting to new information, so expect guidance to change as they learn more.”
The symptoms of monkeypox in humans can be similar to the symptoms of smallpox, but the main difference is that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell, the CDC says.
The CDC is tracking multiple cases of monkeypox that have been reported in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the U.S.
The incubation period, or time from infection to showing symptoms, for monkeypox is usually seven to 14 days. It starts with fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion and usually within one to three days, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The lesions progress, become filled with a fluid, then scab and fall off. Monkeypox usually lasts for two to four weeks.
There are no specific treatments available for monkeypox but there are vaccines, according to the CDC. Outbreaks can be controlled.
Experts believe monkeypox spreads between people via respiratory droplets or by direct contact with lesion material. Patients who are treated at the hospital are isolated so as not to spread the virus. Patients who do not require hospitalization should still isolate at home and use protective measures.
