NC sees 50% increase in COVID cases compared to last week

North Carolina added 7,279 new cases of COVID-19 from April 10-16, according to data released Wednesday by the state.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data shows a 50% increase from the 4,851 cases added last week.

Hospitalizations are still low with 278 people. However, it’s up 15% from last week, when there were 242 hospitalizations.

Omicron BA.2 is the dominant strain of COVID seen in North Carolina, the state data showed.

Does my mask protect me if nobody else is wearing one?

WRAL News spoke with Dr. Mike Smith of the Duke University School of Medicine. He said the case numbers are important to monitor, and are concerning. However, he said the number of hospitalizations is even more important.

"I think they key thing is to focus on how can you protect yourself and your families," Smith said.

Smith also said the vaccines are working.

"The whole point of the vaccine program is to reduce severe infections, including hospitalization [and] including death," Smith said.

Smith said the knowledge gained in the last two years makes him less concerned.

"We know case numbers are increasing," Smith said. "We have not yet seen the uptick in hospitalizations or ED visits, but even if we start to see that, we have a much better idea than we did two years ago of what to do."

WRAL News also spoke with parents who kids are still too young to receive vaccinations. Some are worried, especially after the TSA and airlines dropped mask mandates earlier this week.

Leonora Tisdale is a mother of 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old. Her family was thinking about a taking trip to Dallas for her toddler to meet family he's never met.

"We were thinking about planning a trip this summer and I said to my husband the other day, 'There goes our trip to Dallas,'" Tisdale said. "We’re not going to put these kids on a plane with people who are not masked."

Smith says families in these situations should consider the risks and the benefits of going on trips.

As a father of a 4-year-old, it's something he thinks about too.

"In the hypothetical situation where I did have a family plane trip coming up, at least this week, based on the numbers, I would be comfortable going, but I would personally wear a mask," Smith said.

Another parent, Dustin Keener, has a daughter who turns 3 in July.

"it doesn’t give me any concerns," Keener said. "I believe that the child’s immunity is very strong and healthy.

"We had COVID very early on as a family, and she bounced back real quick with it. I have zero concerns."

Keener also said he believes there should have never been a mask mandate.

Jeanne Alton is a parent who is vaccinated and boosted. WRAL News asked whether Alton would be concerned about her health if she were to get COVID.

"My daughters assure me that since I’m vaccinated fully and boosted, that I would not be that sick," Alson said. "And I’m in pretty good health, so I think I would be alright, I hope."