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The omicron subvariant BA.5 is causing cases to spike -- quickly.

<b>RALEIGH, N.C.</b> — The omicron subvariant BA.5 is causing cases to spike — quickly. Many of those cases are still underreported with people testing at home. But the number of coronavirus particles in <a href="https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/story/nc-wastewater-data-shows-55-increase-in-covid-particles-in-one-week/20382757/">North Carolina's wastewater showed a 55 percent increase</a> in the past week, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

In response to a coronavirus surge, many people will give one of two answers in response.

"I'm not worried one bit," said Tim Coster.

"I'm wearing a mask for a reason," countered Natty Sadler. "I think the surge is already here."

Data collected by the state Department of Health and Human Resources tracking how many coronavirus particles are found in the state's wastewater shows that the amount of COVID-19 particles has increased by 55% in only one week. 



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Maggie Brown

NC wastewater data shows 55% increase in COVID particles in one week 

coronavirus grocery shopping

Data from DHHS shows hospitalizations from the virus are also on the rise.

"I was already predicting after July 4 it was going to go up because so many people are traveling and visiting," said Rachel Roper, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at East Carolina University.

Roper said people who are vaccinated and boosted have the highest protection. Those who are not vaccinated have a higher risk of hospitalization and death and those who are immunocompromised should be extremely careful when around large crowds.

Jessica Dixon, infection prevention specialist at WakeMed Health & Hospitals, said that based off her experience and her colleagues' experiences, "there is a lot more COVID out there than maybe is reflected in the official data." 

NEWS COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON. >> NEW DATA FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOWS A BIG SPIKE IN COVID WASTEWATER PARTICLES. WEEK-OVER-WEEK THAT NUMBER IS UP. 55%. THAT'S NOT REFLECTED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CASE DATA THAT NUMBER IS UP 7% WEEK TO WEEK. WE HAVE SEEN NOT NEARLY AS MUCH EXPERTS HAVE BEEN TELLING WRAL. THE CASE COUNT IS NOT CAPTURING THE FULL EXTENT OF COVID-19 IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE REASON IS THE AT-HOME POSITIVE TESTS THAT ARE NOT BEING REPORTED TO THE STATE. JOINING US NOW LIVE TO WEIGH IN ON THESE NUMBERS IS WAKE MED INFECTION PREVENTION SPECIALIST JESSICA DIXON. JESSICA, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU WHEN YOU HEAR THESE NUMBERS? >> DEFINITELY CONCERNED. I THINK THAT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE SEEING REFLECTS WHAT I'M HEARING ANECDOTALLY FROM MY FRIENDS, FROM MY COLLEAGUES, FROM PEOPLE AROUND THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE COVID OUT THERE. THE NAVY IS REFLECTED IN THE OFFICIAL DATA. >> DO YOU THINK THAT'S A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM, TOO? I AM HEARING THE SAME THING FROM MY FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ACTUAL CASE COUNT IN NORTH CAROLINA NATIONWIDE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THESE NUMBERS ARE SHOWING. >> I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY IS, WHICH IS NOT NOT PARTICULARLY SHOCKING. WE KNOW WE HAVE THE VA 5 VARIANT CIRCULATING NOW, WHICH WE KNOW IS THE MOST CONTAGIOUS VARIANT OF THAT WE'VE SEEN YET. WE KNOW A LOT OF THE TESTING THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OUT THERE THAT WAS KIND OF THE FREE AND EASY TO GET TO YOU SHUT DOWN OVER THE PAST MONTH OR 2. AND SO A LOT MORE PEOPLE REALLY ARE TURNING TO AT-HOME TESTS AS THEIR DEFAULT FOR TESTING WHENEVER THEY ARE SYMPTOMATIC FOR COVID. SO I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS OFFICIAL NUMBERS ARE REFLECTING THE INCREASE BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE DATA, THE NATIONAL DATA, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE OUT THERE THAN THOSE CAN EVEN CAPTURE. TALK ABOUT WAKE MED. ARE YOU ALL SEEING AN UPTICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OR MORE CASES OF BEING? >> PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE SICK. >> WE ARE STARTING TO SEE AN UPTICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS. YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, WE'VE SAID THAT HOSPITALIZATIONS TEND TO LAG POSITIVE TESTS BY A COUPLE WEEKS AND THEN SEVERE ILLNESS AND ICU ADMISSIONS TEND TO LAG BEHIND UP BY ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THEN DEATHS TEND TO LAG BEHIND BY ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE STARTED TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE TESTS A FEW WEEKS AGO. NOW WE ARE STARTING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS SO FAR. WE HAVEN'T SEEN A BIG UPTICK IN THE NUMBER OF COVID PATIENTS THAT ARE IN OUR CRITICAL CARE UNITS. BUT I EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. >> YOU KNOW, JUST GET HERE AT WRAL. WE ARE MANDATORY MASKS ONE DAY. THEN THE NEXT WEEK, IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. WE TAKE THEM OFF AND NOW WE'RE BACK TO WEARING THEM AGAIN. DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING MORE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES LIKE WEARING MASKS AGAIN? >> I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO CONSIDER THAT. YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE WE'RE AT A PLACE NOW IN THIS PANDEMIC WHERE UNFORTUNATELY EVERYBODY HAS TO KIND OF DO AN INDIVIDUAL RISK ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THE MANDATES ARE GONE AND I DON'T SEE THEM COMING BACK UNLESS WE HAVE A HUGE SURGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS WERE PERHAPS INTO THE FALL OR WINTER. IF THAT HAPPENS. SO RIGHT NOW, THE ONUS IS REALLY ON THE INDIVIDUAL TO DECIDE WHAT IS THEIR RISK OF TRANSMITTING IT AND OF ACQUIRING IT. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO MITIGATE THAT? SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN A CROWDED PLACE, THEN YOU REALLY PROBABLY SHOULD CONSIDER MASKING IF YOU'RE UNVACCINATED. IT'S REALLY A TIME WHEN YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER MASKING NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO. BUT EVEN IF YOU'RE VACCINATED AND BOOSTED, EVEN IF YOU HAD A RECENT INFECTION AND THEY'RE ESCAPE WITH THIS PARTICULAR VARIANT. SO YOU CAN GET RE INFECTED. SO NOW IT IS A GREAT TIME TO LOOK AT PUTTING ON A MASK. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE UP CLOSE TO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE. JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT, I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND TODAY ABOUT THIS. HOW MUCH LONGER DO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COVID INTO THE FALL AND WINTER? I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT. AND I WISH I COULD SAY THAT ALMOST NEVER. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ASKING OURSELVES THAT NOW FOR 2 AND A HALF YEARS. I THINK THAT COVID IS PROBABLY ALWAYS GOING TO BE WITH US. HOW LONG DO WE HAVE TO WORRY THAT IT'S GOING TO MAKE US SICK AND KILL PEOPLE? I THINK THAT WILL PROBABLY ALWAYS BE SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL GET SEVERE ILLNESS. AND THEY'RE ALWAYS BE SOME DEATHS TO HAVE THAT. WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DECLINE AS WE IMPROVE. YOU KNOW, OUR VACCINATION NUMBERS. AND AS THIS CONTINUES TO EVOLVE BECAUSE THIS VIRUS ULTIMATELY WANTS TO SURVIVE AS WELL AS IT KILLS PEOPLE QUICKLY, IT CAN SURVIVE. SO I AM HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL EVOLVE INTO SOME OF OUR OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRAL ILLNESSES THAT ARE QUITE COMMON, BUT NOT VERY SERIOUS FOR MOST PEOPLE AND DON'T CAUSE A LOT OF ABILITY OR MENTALITY. >> IT DOES SOUND LIKE A GREAT DREAM TO HAVE WAKE-MED INFECTION. PREVENTION SPECIALIST JESSICA DIXON,

Debra Morgan

WakeMed expert predicts NC could see an increase in COVID hospitalizations

"COVID has evolved now to be so contagious and it has mutated away from the vaccine protection," said Roper.

Some, like Sadler, said they're already extra precautions to keep coronavirus away from their home.

"[I'm] working from home, eating outside," said Saddler. "I haven't really changed my behavior since the pandemic started."

WakeMed infection prevention specialist Jessica Dixon said the BA.5 subvariant is the most contagious yet, and it's time to mask up no matter your vaccination status.

"If you're in a crowded place, you really should consider masking. If you're unvaccinated, you should consider masking no matter where you go," she said.

Disparities are pronounced when comparing DHHS case demographic data to census population information. 

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Non-profits receive $1 million from United Way, Live Well Wake to help those hardest hit by COVID-19

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Health experts said many people are testing at home and that in turn means many cases are going unreported. Roper said the test is probably accurate for those who receive a positive result. She recommends testing twice if the first test is negative.

Overall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that North Carolina has a 20% case positivity rate with 50 of the state's counties under a high risk for community transmission.

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Art Pope, one of the most influential Republican Party insiders in North Carolina, wants the state to investigate NCInnovation. The group is backed by $500 million dollars in government funding. Pope questions its accounting despite previous financial reviews that found it in compliance.

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A man died in a shooting early Sunday morning in Durham.

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden didn’t waste time.

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WRAL-TV News Broadcasts: Watch each newscast live or watch the most recent newscast on demand.

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St. Augustine's University hosts a free Student Care Concert to support grads, athletes and staff. 

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UNC quarterback Drake Maye was the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft to the New England Patriots. Two of his former UNC teammates were drafted on Saturday.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Mathew Barzal capped a solid all-around effort by the New York Islanders with their season on the line to get a big win.

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'COVID has evolved now to be so contagious' Omicron subvariant causing cases to spike in NC

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