With 217 cases, Dare County reports third highest week of new COVID-19 cases since pandemic began

Dare County released the following update for Tuesday, August 10, which provides details on recent Coronavirus cases, vaccine data, and more COVID-19 information.

Dare County COVID-19 Case Update

Dare County is experiencing widespread community transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Dare County is in the red category on the CDC’s Level of Community Transmission map. Red indicates a high level of community transmission of the virus. The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests to total COVID-19 tests in Dare County last week was 20.2%. All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, ages 5 and over should wear a mask when indoors in public settings. All individuals should consider wearing a mask when outside if gathering in large crowds. Individuals ages 12 and over should get vaccinated for COVID-19 to help prevent serious illness, hospitalizations and death.

The total number of new positive cases reported in Dare County for the past week was 217, which marks the 3rd highest week of new positive cases since the pandemic began. During the same week last year, there were a total of 21 new positive cases reported in Dare County and a 2.8% positivity rate. Of the 217new cases last week:

• 199 (92%) are symptomatic
• 167 (22%) acquired the virus by direct contact with someone who was positive for COVID-19.
• 50 were breakthrough cases (1 had Astrazeneca; 9 had J&J vaccine; 22 had Moderna, 18 had Pfizer).

Currently, there are 128 active COVID-19 cases among residents of Dare County. There are 7 individuals hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19 (1 resident and six non-residents).

Breakthrough Cases

When an individual tests positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks after receiving the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine that is considered a breakthrough case. Vaccine breakthrough cases are expected. COVID-19 vaccines are effective and are a critical tool to bring the pandemic under control. However, no vaccines are 100% effective at preventing illness in vaccinated people. There will be a small percentage of fully vaccinated people who still get sick, are hospitalized, or die from COVID-19. According to the CDC, there is evidence that vaccination may make illness less severe for those who are vaccinated and still get sick.

Since the week of April 12th when the first breakthrough case was reported, there have been 863 positive cases of COVID-19 reported in Dare County with 137 of those cases being identified as breakthrough cases. Of the 137 breakthrough cases:

• 88 residents and 49 non-residents
• 89 reported mild symptoms and 5 reported moderate symptoms
• 1 is hospitalized
• 31 had the J&J vaccine
• 52 had the Moderna vaccine
• 52 had the Pfizer vaccine
• 2 had Astrazeneca

The whole numbers provided above are for informational purposes and not an indication of effectiveness of one vaccine compared to the others. Of note, the Moderna vaccine has been the predominant vaccine administered by Dare DHHS. The breakdown of the COVID 19 vaccines administered by Dare DHHS are: 5% J&J, 24% Pfizer and 71% Moderna.

The FDA and CDC are evaluating whether booster or additional doses of the COVID vaccine would provide additional protection. At this time booster doses are not being encouraged or recommended. We will update the public if that guidance changes.

Delta Variant

According to the CDC and NC DHHS,  the Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than early forms of SARS-CoV-2. Preliminary data indicates:

• The Delta variant is more contagious
• The Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons.
• Unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern
• Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to be infectious for a shorter period

Currently, a random sample of positive COVID-10 specimens are being sequenced by the Vidant Medical laboratory and the state laboratory to assess for variants. County specific data is not available, however Dare County’s specimens are included in the regional data released by Vidant Medical. In the COVID-19 weekly released today by Vidant Medical, the Delta variant was present in 177 of the 186  (95%) specimens sequenced.

COVID Vaccinations in Dare

All individuals 12 years of age and over are encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccinations are readily available at numerous locations throughout the county including the health department and many area pharmacies like: Walgreens, CVS, Sunshine Family Pharmacy, Island Pharmacy, Bear Drugs, and Beach Pharmacy.

Individuals ages 12 and over should get vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19. If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Since late December 2020, a total of 24,336 (66%) of eligible Dare County residents have received an initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 22,799 (62%) are fully vaccinated.

Protect Yourself and Your Family

NC DHHS epidemiological data indicates the state and Dare County are in the middle of another surge of COVID-19 infections. The Delta variant is believed to be the most prevalent variant in Dare County at this time. The CDC and NC DHHS indicate it is a significantly more contagious variant. For every one person infected by the Delta variant it is estimated they may spread the virus to 6 other individuals. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19. People who are vaccinated are far less likely to get infected with COVID-19 than those who are not vaccinated. Based on self-reports during contact tracing interviews, in the low percentage of breakthrough cases, individuals who are vaccinated are experiencing mild to no symptoms.

In addition to getting vaccinated, other ways you can protect yourself and your family include limiting prolonged direct contact with unvaccinated individuals who do not live in your household, and washing your hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer. It is also recommended that all individuals in Dare County wear a mask indoors, as Dare County is currently considered an area of high community transmission.

Key Metrics

Each week we review the 4 key metrics associated with disease investigation and surveillance. The metrics are:

• Number of Tests
• Confirmed Cases
• Positive Tests as a Percent of Total Tests
• COVID Like Illness Surveillance

This past week there were 1,074 COVID-19 diagnostic tests reported in Dare County. This brings the total number of tests performed since early March of last year to 44,776.  There were 217 positive cases between August 2 and August 8. The percentage of positive tests to overall tests in Dare County since we started testing in March 2020 increased to 8.68%. The percent of positive tests to total tests for the past week increased to 20.2%. Syndromic surveillance of individuals presenting with COVID like symptoms to the emergency department and urgent care centers showed an increase in activity. These graphs can be found on the Dare County website at www.darenc.com/covid19.

Dashboard Updates

Due to the significant increase in cases, our department will be updating the dashboard on our Facebook page and website daily Monday-Friday.

Communications and Information Sharing

Dare County DHHS has an established schedule of communication to share information regarding COVID-19. Every Tuesday, a written update which includes the previous week’s COVID-19 key metrics is issued. Additional updates will be released as needed. All released videos and written updates can be found on our website, DHHS facebook page, Dare County Twitter page, and Dare Emergency Management Twitter page. If you would like to receive these updates directly to your email, please sign up to receive our enotifications.

New positive cases are updated on the dashboard and on our website and shared on the DHHS facebook page Monday- Friday. To find the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 cases in Dare County visit www.darenc.com/covid19. State COVID-19 data is available at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.

Contact Us

We encourage you to stay informed by visiting www.darenc.com/covid19 or by visiting the CDC or NC DHHS websites. If you have specific needs or questions you may also call the Dare County COVID-19 call center open Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 5:00 at 252-475-5008.