CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte area hospitals, doctor’s offices and pharmacies are stretched thin heading into the holiday season as respiratory viruses continue to spread rapidly. The Carolinas remain in the high level of flu activity and new data show after months of stability, COVID-19 metrics are once again on the rise.
Health officials attribute the changes in part to Thanksgiving gatherings and anticipate it will get worse after more people travel or gather this weekend.
Some worry not enough people are stepping up to protect themselves and others.
“I think we’re seeing some immunization fatigue with all of the doses of everything that we’ve had over the course of the pandemic,” Marshal Carter, a district leader for CVS Pharmacy and pharmacist, said.
Carter said pharmacists offer the flu shot to every customer and despite giving out fewer than usual, pharmacists have stayed busy this season.
State data shows last week, 69% of the flu tests given in North Carolina came back positive.
"We’re filling a lot [of] prescriptions for Tamiflu and other antivirals to treat or hopefully shorten the duration of flu symptoms people are experiencing or keep them out of the hospitals," Carter said.
Nationwide, demand for Tamiflu has been so high, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had to dip into the national stockpile to make more available.
Shelves in the cold and flu aisle of many stores are bare, but CVS is doing what it can to keep options available.
Luckily, RSV cases are going down, but the Mecklenburg County Health Director anticipates flu and COVID-19 will continue to circulate in the coming weeks and months. The latest data from NCDHHS shows the number of positive COVID-19 cases is the highest it’s been since mid-September.
“History has shown us, especially after the holiday season we do see a surge in cases,” Dr. Raynard Washington, Mecklenburg County Public Health director, said.
Experts insist it is not too late to get a flu shot and still have some protection for the holidays this weekend but full protection comes after two weeks. CVS offers appointments and walk-ins. The pharmacy is now closed every day from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. to give the pharmacy staff a break.
Contact Chloe Leshner at cleshner@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.