Coronavirus updates for March 23: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week

We’re tracking information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back every Thursday for updates.

Nearly 4,000 new COVID cases

At least 3,962 new coronavirus cases were reported in North Carolina last week, down from 4,218 the week before, according to preliminary data from state health officials.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services also reported 391 new weekly COVID-19 hospital patient admissions, a drop from 516 the previous week, according to figures through March 18, the most recent metrics available. The daily average of adult coronavirus patients in intensive care was 69, compared with 82 the week before.

The figures — released Wednesday, March 22 — show roughly 78% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 74% have finished an initial round of vaccine doses. Of the state’s total population, about 63% finished their initial round and about 68% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination metrics to the nearest whole number.

“Out of all people who have finished their initial vaccines in North Carolina, 59% have been vaccinated with at least one booster, and 22% with an updated omicron booster,” the health department wrote on its website, adding that the metrics were updated after a technical issue last week.

Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data shows it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant. Across the state, virtually all new COVID-19 cases were attributed to omicron strains in the two weeks leading up to March 11, the latest time period for which data is available.

Timing of COVID shot or infection could matter, study finds

The order in which you get a COVID-19 shot or develop an infection could matter, new findings show.

In the past, research suggested that hybrid immunity could best protect against re-infection, no matter the order of when someone got a vaccine or an initial infection. But research published this month from a Canadian-based team finds those who get their vaccine doses after being infected are at risk for another COVID-19 infection.

“In studying blood samples of people who received two doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and unvaccinated individuals who caught the virus, researchers discovered those vaccinated without having been infected with the virus were the most protected against COVID-19,” McClatchy News reported on March 20.

“Ultimately, those who were vaccinated following infection were still better protected than unvaccinated people who had COVID-19 previously, according to the study.”

Read more about the COVID-related research here.

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