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Raleigh, North Carolina – Health officials say you should take a close look at the number of fully vaccinated people in your area as the new strain of coronavirus is spreading quickly. The United States now averages more than 16,000 new cases of COVID per day, an increase of more than 21% in the last week alone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is about 40% to 60% more transmissible than the original strain of COVID-19. These cases continue to increase among unvaccinated populations in the South.
People living in areas with low vaccination rates – even if they are vaccinated – could be at risk of infection, said emergency physician Dr Leana Wen of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. Groundbreaking infections are possible even after a person is vaccinated, although research shows coronavirus vaccines are almost entirely effective in preventing serious illness or hospitalization.
In most North Carolina counties outside of the Triangle, less than 50% of residents are fully immunized. Wake, Orange and Durham counties have more than half of the population vaccinated, but Johnston, Wilson and Harnett counties have vaccination rates below 40%.
Only 26% of Cumberland County residents are fully immunized. Hoke County, south of the Triangle, has a 21% vaccination rate. These counties also report high rates of vaccine hesitancy.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said this month that if someone is in a community where few people are vaccinated, it may be appropriate to cover up.
“If you are an elderly person, or if you have someone with an underlying disease, you may want to go the extra mile to protect yourself by wearing a mask if you were indoors, in an environment. with a high degree of infection in the community. , and a low level of vaccination, ”he said on July 8 during a briefing on the coronavirus at the White House.
State health officials say the Delta strain has accounted for nearly 30% of coronavirus infections in recent weeks – and they expect that number to increase. As of May, more than 99% of new COVID cases in the state are among those not fully immunized.
If the Delta variant continues to spread and vaccination rates do not increase, masks and social distancing could return, experts say. New cases of COVID in North Carolina have jumped 52% in the past week.
Vaccinations in North Carolina are mostly stalled at about 50%, which is below the national average. Experts believe that immunity is achieved when more than 70% of the population is protected from the virus by a vaccine.
Recent polls show that young adults and Republican women want to be vaccinated. More than 45% of Republican women do not plan to be vaccinated or are unsure, according to the Morning Consult poll. This number is 15 points higher than all adults and 13 points higher than Republican men.
Coronavirus Vaccinations in North Carolina
About 20% of young adults, aged 18 to 34, say they are unsure of getting the coronavirus vaccine. State data shows that only 53% of people 18 and older are vaccinated, compared to 80% of people 65 and older.
More young people are now required to be hospitalized with COVID-19 as the Delta variant spreads. Medical experts find that the Delta variant is more severe and attacks patients faster than the previous strain of COVID.
In Missouri, only about 40% of the population is fully immunized. About 91% of patients in the intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital in Springfield are on ventilators, said executive director Erik Frederick. The majority of them are young adults.
“It’s shocking for us to have that kind of number,” Frederick said on Saturday. “These are young patients – you have them in your twenties, thirties, forties – again, it’s alarming, (and) a direct line to vaccination rates.”
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