Positive COVID-19 cases jump 20% since last week in Brunswick County

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Community spread through increased activities in public places, social gatherings, and employment in the service industry: these recurring trends continue to be likely factors in several recent cases’ exposure to the novel coronavirus, according to Brunswick County health officials.

They add another recurring trend is that a significant portion of the identified cases are aged 25 to 49 years old. To date, more than one-third of all positive cases in Brunswick County fall under this age range.

While this is consistent with state and national trends, Brunswick County Health Services continues to warn people about the perils of assuming the virus only affects those who are older and have health issues, or that they won’t have a serious illness if they get COVID-19.

(Photo: Brunswick County)

“This virus affects everyone differently, so we cannot assume we know how our bodies might react if we are exposed to the virus, no matter how young or healthy you are,” Health Services Director Cris Harrelson said. “Even if you do test positive and have little to no symptoms, you and your family, roommates, friends, and other close contacts you were near recently will likely have to quarantine for 14 days and could get sick themselves, sometimes at more severe levels. These are possibilities we need everyone to consider.”

The significant rise in cases among younger residents is not a new trend, as illustrated on Brunswick County’s COVID-19 Dashboard. However, the county says they continue to see cases identified following social gatherings where little to no efforts are taken to wear face coverings or social distancing—and it continues to cause concern.

“Learn from others’ experiences and make efforts to protect yourself and your loved ones during this crucial time when cases continue to rise,” Harrelson said.

Meanwhile, several other cases involving people in this age range are attributed to their increased exposure to members of the public because they work around a lot of people, such as in restaurants, shops, in construction, or in healthcare/long-term care facilities.

“Wearing a cloth face covering is not about protecting yourself—it is about protecting the people around you or serving you at these businesses,” Harrelson said. “Even if you feel well, you could be carrying the virus. We need people to take the face covering rules to heart to better take control of this pandemic in our communities.”

Here are key points about Brunswick County’s current case counts:

• Brunswick County has seen a more than 700% increase in resident cases since early June, with about a 20% increase in the past week (July 10-17)
• According to the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard statistics on testing, about 7% of all tests in Brunswick County are positive
• There are 62 positive cases for every 10,000 people in Brunswick County
• People aged 25 to 49 years old account for 35% of all positive cases to date; cases in this age range have increased by 15% in the past week
• Minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by the virus. As of June 17:
  • About 22% of all cases involve Hispanic/Latinx residents, while only about 9% of the overall county population identifies with this ethnic group
  • About 15% of all cases involve Black residents; about 10% of all county residents are Black
• Hospitalizations continue to rise among county resident cases, with an average of about 12 positive resident cases in the hospital over the past week
• Health Services has reported on five outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the county to date
• Six more deaths have been reported since July began, bringing the total to 11 residents and two non-resident deaths; some of the most recent deaths are connected to a congregate living facility outbreak
• While individuals are recovering from COVID-19, the number of active cases has surpassed recoveries since July 8 and cases are currently spread across 384 different households