MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — We are continuing to see COVID-19 cases slowly inch up in the Carolinas. Nationwide, there are now 56 high-risk counties where the CDC is urging people to mask up again.
Those are mainly in the northeast.
Experts are keeping a close eye on new variants as the CDC lists BA.4 and BA.5 as variants of concern.
The latest data, released Wednesday, shows BA.2 is still the predominant strain in North Carolina, making up 91% of the positive cases sequenced. But the new subvariants of omicron appear to be even more contagious.
The omicron variant and its mutations are continuing the COVID-19 cycle as cases slowly climb again.
"Right now, 100% of our sequence specimens continue to be the omicron variant and its lineage," Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said. "So certainly, as additional sub-variants of that particular variant are emerging, it's kind of unclear at this point what the consequence of that will be.”
The omicron variant was first detected in South Africa.
Now, mutations of it, subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, are causing a spike in cases there.
Research, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, shows people who were previously infected with omicron may not have immunity to these new strains.
Future waves of new cases are expected as people adjust to living with COVID-19.
"In the fall we would expect that we would, similar to we have the last several years, we would start to see an uptick in cases, similar to what we're seeing right now," Washington said.
There is some good news, though. Even as cases rise in the Carolinas, data shows health care systems are still in good shape compared to earlier this year.
"So far, we’re seeing more in our wastewater than other metrics which is a good sign because that means people may be getting sick with COVID but we’re not seeing the cases be as severe," Virginia Guidry with the NC Division of Public Health said.
Health experts are still pushing people to get vaccinated and boosted if they have not done so already, as data shows that’s what helps to prevent a severe case of COVID-19.
Contact Chloe Leshner at cleshner@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.