CHARLOTTE, N.C. — According to the CDC, the subvariant of omicron, BA.2, is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States. The more contagious variant now makes up about 55% of the new cases in the country.
But, according to the CDC, all of South Carolina is considered to have a “low” community spread, and the majority of North Carolina -- including the entire greater Charlotte region -- is in the “low” category.
In Mecklenburg County, Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said there are signs that declining trends may be bottoming out. That could point to a potential rise in cases over time.
After breaking records for COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations, the omicron variant is being pushed aside. Its more transmissible subvariant, BA.2, is now the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country.
It’s becoming more prevalent in Mecklenburg County too.
“Last week we were at 6% and this week were at 16% so certainly that number is growing,” Washington said of the number of positive tests coming back as BA.2 after sequencing.
Washington said the situation is still stable. Hospitalizations haven’t gone up and there hasn’t been an increase in demand for testing. But the percent positivity rate in the county has slowly increased in the last few days. It’s still low, at 3%.
“We are seeing some early indications that there’s increased activity in our community,” Washington said. “There’s no rapid growth and some of this could be a leveling out, and so it could sort of serve as a new base for us. But we’re watching it very closely.”
He expects to see more cases of BA.2 over time. The subvariant appears to be more contagious than omicron but is not causing severe illness.
“It’s clear to us that the vaccines are still effective," Washington said. "They work. They are preventing illness in other countries where BA.2 is more predominant, and it has created additional surges in cases. They aren’t seeing the kind of impact on the healthcare system that’s concerning."
The FDA and CDC authorized a second Pfizer or Moderna booster for people 50 and older. The Mecklenburg County Health Department is expecting to start administering them by Thursday.
Contact Chloe Leshner at cleshner@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.