The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some Piedmont Triad communities have a high level of COVID-19 spread and local doctors are asking people to take precautions. Doctors like Cynthia Snider, the medical director for infection prevention at Cone Health, are asking people to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and consider wearing masks indoors while in public as the Triad sees a post-holiday increase in COVID-19 cases.”When my mom goes out to the grocery store or to the gym, I’m always asking her,” she said. “I’m like, are you wearing your mask? Because that’s very important to do.”The CDC’s latest update from Dec. 28 shows high levels of COVID-19 spread in Forsyth, Yadkin, Surry, Stokes, and Davie counties, and hospitals like Cone Health are witnessing the rise firsthand.”We are seeing probably like a 20% increase over the last week in terms of hospitalizations here at our hospital,” said Snider.She says the BQ strain of the omicron variant is causing the most infections in North Carolina. She also says if you have symptoms but test negative, test again.”So you may feel sick on that first day you test and it may be negative,” Snider said. “But then you finally are ramping up and your viral load is high enough so that when you take that test again 12 hours later or 24 hours later, it is positive.”However, Snider says despite a rise in cases, there is some good news.”For those who are otherwise healthy it and are and boosted with the latest vaccine,” she said, “it protects you, and still gives you enough protection to make this just a mild disease.”Snider says even with an increase in hospitalizations, it’s still too early to tell how long cases will continue to increase.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some Piedmont Triad communities have a high level of COVID-19 spread and local doctors are asking people to take precautions.
Doctors like Cynthia Snider, the medical director for infection prevention at Cone Health, are asking people to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and consider wearing masks indoors while in public as the Triad sees a post-holiday increase in COVID-19 cases.
“When my mom goes out to the grocery store or to the gym, I’m always asking her,” she said. “I’m like, are you wearing your mask? Because that’s very important to do.”
The CDC’s latest update from Dec. 28 shows high levels of COVID-19 spread in Forsyth, Yadkin, Surry, Stokes, and Davie counties, and hospitals like Cone Health are witnessing the rise firsthand.
“We are seeing probably like a 20% increase over the last week in terms of hospitalizations here at our hospital,” said Snider.
She says the BQ strain of the omicron variant is causing the most infections in North Carolina. She also says if you have symptoms but test negative, test again.
“So you may feel sick on that first day you test and it may be negative,” Snider said. “But then you finally are ramping up and your viral load is high enough so that when you take that test again 12 hours later or 24 hours later, it is positive.”
However, Snider says despite a rise in cases, there is some good news.
“For those who are otherwise healthy it and are and boosted with the latest vaccine,” she said, “it protects you, and still gives you enough protection to make this just a mild disease.”
Snider says even with an increase in hospitalizations, it’s still too early to tell how long cases will continue to increase.
Read More: Piedmont Triad counties’ COVID-19 level raised to high