Rowan County has now dropped to medium risk for the spread of COVID as classified by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

As the organization continues to track how COVID-19 is affecting the state, the DHHS reports that in the last few weeks, the majority of all new cases in the state are a result of the BA.4 or the BA.5 variant. Both variants, which are formed and behave very similarly, can easily reinfect individuals who were previously sick with COVID, as well as those individuals that are already vaccinated and/or boosted. Symptoms of both variants include sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, fatigue and back pain. (Symptoms can show up individually or in any combination. Reports show unvaccinated individuals are still at a higher risk of becoming more sick, which could result in hospitalization.

North Carolina currently has 61 counties considered high for transmission of COVID-19. Rowan County, as of this past week, has shifted to a medium risk. There are now 446 known cases of COVID-19 and 10 new, confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions among county residents. Rowan county is still reporting a 32% positivity rate in agency testing.

In order to continue to lower our county’s level of transmission and to reduce one’s risk of hospitalization and/or long-term effects from COVID, Rowan County Public Health suggests that you do the following things:

• Make sure you get vaccinated and/or boosted  as soon as possible. For more information on who is eligible to receive a COVID booster, visit the CDC.
• Keep a supply of at-home tests easily available so you can test often, especially if you have been around someone that is COVID positive or if you start feeling bad. To learn more on how to receive free test kits at home, please visit NCDHHS or the USPS.
• If you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, please stay at home and follow the recommendations for isolation.
• Mask up whenever you go out in public! Also practice physical distancing and good hand hygiene. These things are especially important if you are at high risk for serious COVID-19 complications.
• Increase the ventilation of indoor spaces by opening windows and doors; or better yet if you can, host your event outside.

If you should test positive for COVID-19, antiviral pills like Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are available and should be taken within the first five days in which symptoms appear. Please note that these treatments must be prescribed by a medical professional. For more information on treatment, please visit the NCDHHS website.

In closing, if you or a loved one still needs to be vaccinated/boosted against COVID-19, call Rowan County Public Health at 704-216-8777 and choose option 3 to make an appointment. Vaccines are available for all ages and include Moderna, Pfizer, J&J, and the new Novavax vaccine.