CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina's COVID-19 hospitalizations broke a state record Wednesday with 4,098 patients statewide, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports.
According to data from NCDHHS, the record of 3,992 patients was set nearly one year ago.
While the overall patients with COVID-19 is now at an all-time high, the severity of those hospitalizations appears to be down from previous surges. The current count of ventilated patients (a measure of disease severity) is about 87% of the peak from last winter's surge and 64% of peak ventilations during the delta variant surge over this past summer. Thus far, that delta surge has given North Carolina the most number of patients needing life support.
North Carolina health officials reported 25,445 new cases Wednesday with an average 28% of tests coming back positive over the last two weeks. As of Wednesday, North Carolina has reported 19,763 deaths due to COVID-19.
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.