CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations nationwide is at an all-time low falling 32% over the last two weeks.
We are also seeing similar trends here in the Carolinas with South Carolina and most of North Carolina having low community levels.
Health officials say hospitalizations are continuing to decrease week after week, and even though the BA.2 subvariant of omicron is becoming more prominent they’re not expecting a surge in cases.
"We are seeing less and less severe cases of COVID-19 which is a great sign that we're continuing in the right direction," Dr. Jane Kelly, South Carolina's DHEC Assistant Epidemiologist, said.
Kelly said if the past has taught us anything, it's that we cannot rest on our laurels. And even though hospitalizations are trickling downward they’re encouraging more people to get vaccinated to ensure the situation stays stable.
"Delta was a big deal, omicron was a big deal, the Ba.2 variant, maybe not," Dr. Christopher Ohl, with Atrium Health said. "We might have a slight increase in cases because it is a little more infectious, but it doesn't evade immunity any differently than omicron does."
As we continue to take another step closer to the endemic phase. New COVID-19 data is expected to be released for both North Carolina and South Carolina later this week.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.