CDC now not recommending COVID-19 universal case investigation and contact tracing
Recovered and reinfection rates largely ignored by NC media
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is no longer recommending universal case investigation and contact tracing for state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) health departments, according to a Feb. 28 update on its website.
The CDC wants STLT’s “prioritize specific settings” and groups that may be at an increased risk.
“Health departments should focus their efforts on (1) case investigation and contact tracing in specific settings and groups at increased risk, and (2) promotion of proven prevention strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in the community,” the update’s rationale states.
Another key point in the update is that STLT’s should “consult with schools, businesses, and organizations that provide essential services to help them implement appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures and support broad-based efforts to notify people of a potential exposure.”
COVID-19 testing and case tracking have driven news cycles since the start of the pandemic. The focus on case rates has more often than not left other statistics out, such as persons presumed recovered from COVID-19 and reinfection rates.
In North Carolina, the most recent reporting shows the number of patients presumed to be recovered totaling 2,534,052. Bear in mind that the recovered total is the vast majority of the state’s cases, which now totals 2,590,748 since the state began tracking in March of 2020.
North Carolina’s cases and hospitalizations have consistently declined since the start of 2022.
As of Feb. 28, there were 909 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) dashboard.
As of Feb. 27, there are 1,618 individuals hospitalized and 22,570 confirmed deaths. The age demographics for deaths have moved on the NCDHHS dashboard many times and I was unable to locate that exact data this morning.
Congregate living settings like assisted living and nursing homes are still the source of most cases and deaths for the state.
Childcare and school settings still have very low case numbers and zero deaths.
As far as vaccinations go, 75% of the total adult population has had at least two shots.
Reinfection rates are something the local media has largely been ignoring.