COVID shouldn't nix holiday travel

Nov. 11—TRIAD — What a difference a year makes when it comes to holiday travel and the coronavirus pandemic.

In mid-November 2020, medical professionals urged Americans not to leave home for the holiday season as a COVID-19 vaccine remained only a hope on the horizon.

As this year's holiday season arrives, people are getting the green light to gather with friends and loved ones as long as current trends hold with COVID-19 infection rates.

"It shows the progress we've made," said Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious disease specialist with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist out of Winston-Salem.

During his latest pandemic briefing on Thursday, Ohl said it should be safe to gather for the holidays, especially for people who have gotten vaccinations.

"If you want to add a layer of protection, wear a mask," Ohl said.

The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays also serve as another reason for people who haven't gotten a shot to take the vaccine, he said.

COVID-19 infections have receded nationally after the summer surge brought on by the more infectious delta variant. New infections have dropped to an average of more than 74,000 per day over the past week, a 57% decline from the peak of 172,500 new cases per day in mid-September, according to figures tallied by Johns Hopkins University.

However, in a cautionary sign, COVID-19 infection rates have plateaued recently. The infection rate has hovered between 70,000 and 75,000 new cases a day for nearly three weeks, Johns Hopkins reports.

Ohl said that currently there's no variant threat emerging like the delta variant that could spark another wave of COVID-19 infections.

However, Ohl has said previously that COVID-19 probably is not going away, just receding to an endemic level, which would mean there would be periods of rising infections just as there is with the flu.

Even as the pandemic shows hopeful trends, a poll out this week on North Carolinians' views about the scope of the crisis shows its reach.

The group Carolina Forward found that a large majority of North Carolinians remain concerned about themselves or a loved one contracting COVID-19. The survey found 72% of state residents are either somewhat or very concerned about infections.

When asked if they, or someone they knew, suffered from either COVID-19 or the lingering symptoms known as "long COVID," more than a quarter — 26% — said they did.

Figures from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reflect the toll of COVID-19 in the High Point area since the local onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

Based on cases in ZIP code areas, High Point has recorded 17,848 COVID-19 cases. Through Thursday, 275 people in the city had died from the virus.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul