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COVID-19 News
On March 30, President Biden announced the launch of a new website, covid.gov, a one-stop shop for information on the COVID-19, including a test-to-treat locator where people can access pharmacies and health centers to get tested for COVID-19 and immediately receive treatment if necessary.
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Over the past several weeks, COVID-19 numbers have dropped dramatically on a national level, but regional and local case counts still widely vary. As mask mandates and other prevention measures are lifted, the CDC is recommending that individuals be aware of the the current snapshot of COVID-19 in their communities. The CDC is referring to this as "COVID-19 Community Level", and it is based on the amount of hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. The three levels are Low, Medium, and High, and each designation coincides with a range of prevention steps that the CDC advises. Some of these precautions depend on each individual's personal risk for severe illness. You can check the status of your Community Level, which is done by county, here. As of March 10, 2022, Mitchell County is considered to be at Low Community Level, while Yancey County remains at Medium Community Level.
On January 4, 2022 CDC updated COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations with shorter isolation (for asymptomatic and mildly ill people) and quarantine periods of 5 days, narrowing in on the period when a person is most infectious, followed by continued masking for an additional 5 days. These updated recommendations are intended to better accommodate social and well-being needs, return to work, as well as the operation of critical infrastructure. This flow chart was released to help people understand the new guidelines.
To help keep our residents informed and empowered to fight COVID-19, SEARCH has compiled a current list of vaccine, booster, and testing availability in Mitchell and Yancey Counties. We update this list regularly, and you may see it in the form of these flyers at events and businesses.
On November 2nd the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all children ages 5 through 11 get a low-dose COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech. The FDA authorized the vaccine for this age group on October 29th. These shots are already available in some locations throughout the U.S., with wider distribution expected within days. NPR published this article, and the CDC released this statement about the recommendation.
Covid-19 vaccines for younger members of our population have been eagerly awaited by many.
North Carolina Health News published an informative article on October 27, 2021 regarding Covid-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 and vaccine boosters.
In September of 2021 the Joint Commission's Department of Research put together a series of infographics and a short video to help put the latest numbers of COVID infections, vaccinations, hospitalizations, and deaths into a context that is easy to understand. These informative pieces were shared by Tonia Hale, CEO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, NC. Links to these resources are below.
Infographics: Putting COVID Numbers and Vaccinations into Context
Video: Covid-19 by the Numbers
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies over 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Like many rural places throughout the United States, our local area has been hit hard by COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, SEARCH has gathered COVID-19 news specific to Mitchell and Yancey Counties. We produced a video capturing a local resident and her personal struggle with the virus. We post all of these stories on our blog. The three most recent entries are below.
