NCDHHS: COVID-19 clusters rise among middle and high school sports teams

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says they are seeing a sharp increase in COVID-19 clusters among school sports teams.

For the period between July 1 and Sept. 2, 2021, clusters among school sports teams accounted for 45% of all clusters in North Carolina middle and high schools, despite most school sports activities not beginning until August as schools began the fall semester.

According to NCDHHS, for the week ending Sept. 4, children age 17 and under made up 31% of the state’s new COVID-19 cases. That is the highest percentage since the pandemic began.

“We need everyone, including our student athletes and their coaches, to increase layers of prevention to fight this more contagious Delta variant: Don’t wait to vaccinate and urge others to do the same,” NCDHHS Chief Medical Officer and State Health Director Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, M.D., MPH. “Tested, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are the best tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Student athletes who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after a close contact with someone with COVID-19.”

Between July 1 and Sept. 2 there have been at least 42 athletics-related clusters in North Carolina public, charter and private middle and high schools, with a sharp increase in August coinciding with the start of the school year. Only four athletics clusters occurred in July. While NCDHHS data cannot distinguish how people were exposed in these clusters, past public health investigations in other states have shown that spread among teammates often happens off the field, including during practice.

Elementary schools are excluded from this breakdown since many do not have school athletics but schools with students K-12 are included. The athletics classification is made when NCDHHS receives the initial cluster report so these numbers most likely do not include clusters that later impacted a team. All data is preliminary and is subject to change.

Teens ages 12 to 17 can get the Pfizer vaccine. To find providers with the Pfizer vaccine, go to MySpot.nc.gov and filter for Pfizer. Young people 18 and older can get the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.