Omicron Coverage

Updated COVID vaccinations now available to the public

The latest COVID vaccines were made available. One doctor said staying up to date on vaccinations can ease the likelihood of long COVID.

COVID in wastewater sees uptick

As updated boosters become available, the state Department of Health and Human Services say coronavirus in wastewater particles are up.

Wake County begins offering updated COVID-19 booster shots

Updated coronavirus booster shots designed to fight the latest strains of coronavirus are now available in the Raleigh-Durham area.

How to make an appointment for an updated COVID booster shot near you

Updated coronavirus booster shots designed to fight the latest strains of coronavirus are now available in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Nia Harden, WRAL reporter, Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

New COVID-19 boosters expected to be available this week to people in North Carolina

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the state has 500,000 COVID-19 boosters that should arrive in the next two weeks.

Chelsea Donovan, WRAL reporter

New COVID-19 boosters expected to be available this week to people in NC

The new COVID-19 booster shots are expecte to be available either Tuesday or Wednesday in North Carolina.

CDC signs off on updated Covid-19 boosters

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

By Brenda Goodman, CNN

Experts: As new omicron subvariant rapidly spreads, people should consider masking up

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

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

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

Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporter

WakeMed expert predicts NC could see an increase in COVID hospitalizations

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."

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

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.

Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

Does the latest omicron subvariant make you more likely to lose sense of smell?

Doctors in the United States say that with the rise of the BA.5 subvariant, peculiar symptoms of coronavirus may be making a comeback.

Wake County's COVID testing winds down, NC's case numbers could be higher than official data shows

The last day of the Wake County's drive-through COVID-19 testing sites is July 29. Duke University Medical Center Dr. David Montefiori said there is likely a lot more spread of COVID-19 than what the state is reporting.

Why the Omicron offshoot BA.5 is a big deal

Once again, COVID-19 seems to everywhere. If you feel caught off-guard, you aren't alone.

By Brenda Goodman, CNN

Family doctors report seeing increase in COVID-19 cases

While North Carolina's total case count did not increase this week, local doctors tell WRAL News they are seeing an increase in patients falling ill with the virus. Not all of those tests are required to be reported to the state.

How the latest COVID subvariant could affect the US

Data shows that it is the most transmissible variant of the coronavirus to date, and it can even infect those who have recently recovered from illness.

Doctors warn of summer COVID surge

Public health officials fear COIVD-19 cases could rise, as the summer travel season continues.

New variant makes up most COVID cases

In North Carolina, omicron BA.5 first showed up in early May. By the week ending June 25, it made up about 38% of cases sequenced.

Undercounted Covid-19 cases leave US with a blind spot as BA.5 variant becomes dominant

Official Covid-19 case metrics severely undercount the true number of infections, leaving the United States with a critical blind spot as the most transmissible coronavirus variant yet takes hold.

By Deidre McPhillips, CNN

With contagious, new omicron sub-variant rising, only 2% of children under 5 in NC have gotten COVID vaccine

Kids as young as 6 months old -- are now eligible for a shot. However, WRAL Data Trackers are finding out, very few are taking advantage.

Joe Fisher, WRAL reporter

FDA calls for fall COVID boosters to target omicron subvariants

Officials have called on vaccine makers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to produce bivalent vaccines which are intended to target the original strain of COVID-19 as well as its subvariants.

FDA to consider new version, booster for COVID vaccines

WASHINGTON -- A panel of independent experts advising the Food and Drug Administration is set to recommend Tuesday whether to update existing COVID-19 vaccines to target a newer version of the coronavirus in a booster shot that Americans could get in the fall.

Sharon LaFraniere, New York Times

Two new versions of omicron are gaining ground in the U.S., according to CDC estimates

The omicron subvariants known as BA.4 and BA.5 now represent 13% of new coronavirus cases in the United States, up from 7.5% a week ago and 1% in early May, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emily Anthes, New York Times

Duke health experts concerned about possibility that future COVID variants could evade vaccines

While the latest COVID-19 subvariant of omicron, BA.2, is not as severe as previous variants, health experts are still concerned that the virus could mutate and evade vaccines.

Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

Dominant COVID-19 strain BA.2 not showing signs of causing surge in US

A subvariant of Omicron, BA.2 is responsible for 3 out of 4 positive COVID-19 cases in the United States.