COVID WAVE ALERT — April 9

by David Forbes April 24, 2023

Asheville’s long covid wave continues to hit our communities. Here’s our regular alerts on what’s going on and what you can do to keep each other safe

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

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COVID WAVE ALERT — April 9, 2024

This is the current COVID-19 wave alert. For clarity and additional information you can find the previous weeks’ alerts below

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Covid rates in Asheville are finally below catastrophic levels for the first time since November. The long, brutal winter spike is finally ending

• While the stricter precautions necessary over the past months can be relaxed, it’s still important to be careful. Wear an N95 in indoor public spaces. Avoid particularly risky settings. Limit errands, get the updated shot and test frequently

Readers, we literally burst out in happy surprise when we saw the news, but Asheville covid rates are finally below the catastrophic levels they’ve been at since last November. The winter spike of the past months — the longest and worst of the pandemic — is finally ending.

Local virus in wastewater readings show rapid, consistent declines in covid rates over the past few weeks.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

That means that covid risk levels are a lot less than they were, so we’ve dropped them from “Catastrophic” to “High.” For the first time in months we’re seeing rates more in line with what’s typical for this time of year.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

That said, while a far better place to be in than we were just a few weeks ago, a High risk level means just that. There’s still no shortage of covid infections in Asheville. With tourism, a major driver of infections, starting to pick back up as the weather warms, we could still see rates go back up at some point in the coming months.

For now, though, this update brings news about as good as we can reasonably hope for during this pandemic.

Steps to take

With risk levels now at High one can drop some of the stricter precautions needed over the past few months: there is truly less covid risk than there was. However, it’s still important to be careful.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — Cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against the variants currently circulating, especially the JN.1 variant that so prolonged this winter’s covid spike. It’s especially important to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask in public indoor spaces and crowded outdoor ones. Yes, while outdoors events are far safer than indoor ones, covid can and does still spread outdoors with prolonged exposure. It’s generally a good idea to wear an N95 any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups taking careful precautions)

While it’s certainly really helpful if everyone in a place is wearing a mask, N95s offer substantial individual protection even if no one else is. They are essential right now.

If you are in a circumstance where you might have been exposed, take a rapid test at least three days after and isolate as much as possible until then. If you’re getting together in close quarters with people you don’t usually live with, everyone testing beforehand is a must.

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given that rates are still at pretty high levels overall — they’re just a lot lower than the historically bad ones we just endured — it’s a really good idea to avoid being maskless indoors around a bunch of strangers whenever you can.

Limit errands — Errands hold less risk than they did a few weeks ago, but it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until this surge seriously starts to go down. If you do need to go into a store, wear an N95 and make it quick. If you can time it for a less busy part of the day, do.

This can obviously be difficult for many of us in a city with this much poverty. We struggle with that too. Coordination can help, with several friends or community members going in on obtaining supplies and helping to distribute it to each other. There’s never a time when mutual aid doesn’t matter.

Get the updated shot — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine this past autumn had some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now much more widely available, including at the local health department.

Remember this updated shot doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others as well. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with plenty of covid still circulating. We continue to get more information about its resilience, and it’s holding up pretty well even against the hyper-contagious JN.1 variant. One of the factors in the particularly brutal winter spike was a lack of folks getting it and one of the likely factors in its decline is that, over time, more finally have.

The Buncombe County Health Department is offering the updated shot during their walk-in hours, which are 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. You can also book appointments in advance for the coming weeks.

Additionally, if you got the latest mRNA shot (Pfizer or Moderna) over two months ago, you’re now eligible to get the Novavax updated vaccine as well. That can provide a solid boost to one’s immune system at a time when it’d particularly needed. Based on the information we’ve got it also holds up equally well against JN.1.

Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a location to double-check.

Stay vigilant and communicate — Transitional times like this are tricky during a pandemic. It can be very tempting, now that risks are truly less than they were for the past months, to jettison too many precautions.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking basic precautions. Don’t.

Instead talk to each other, be clear about what the risks still are right now and what you and those close to you need to do to navigate this wave. If someone’s doing something dangerous, even unintentionally, say so. Many of us live with others with a variety of risk levels, and it’s important to be honest so we can all figure out how to best navigate that.

If you need help with something, ask. If you think someone you know might need help, ask them. Check in on higher-risk folks you know (including if you’re higher-risk yourself) and see how their needs can be met.

This is a reminder that you’re not anxious or paranoid for not wanting to get a potentially devastating virus. Covid is still with us and will be for a long time to come. As ever, our odds are best when we work with each other to deal with that.

COVID WAVE ALERT — March 19, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• After an ugly resurgence, covid rates in Asheville are finally headed down again, though they still remain at unusually high levels for this time of year. But it’s still not clear if we’re just seeing a dip or finally and end to a prolonged and particularly bad winter spike

• Keep wearing an N95 in public. Get the updated shot if you haven’t already. Test frequently. Scale back in-person trips whenever you can.

So after covid rates in the Asheville area had an ugly resurgence a few weeks ago, the past two weeks have seen them once again decline.

Virus in wastewater — the best remaining measurement of covid spread in our community we have — dropped solidly the past two weeks, though it still remains at unusually high levels.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

While this is promising, we’re just coming off of an ugly resurgence in a time of year when, post-holidays, covid rates are usually dropping sharply. Hopefully this is the beginning of an actual end to this unusually bad winter wave, but it’s still a bit too early to tell. Fingers crossed.

It’s worth zooming in and comparing current virus in wastewater rates to those of the previous two years we have readings for.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

As you can see, by this time in 2023 the winter spike had already ended. By this time in 2022 we were out of a covid wave entirely. Indeed, the resulting period of low rates would, by the numbers, be the last time Asheville wasn’t in a covid wave. It’s worth remembering that.

So while there’s some encouraging news, covid spread here still remains very high compared to previous years.

Steps to take

While things are, for the moment, improving, we’re still not seeing the sharply reduced rates we’d need to drop the risk level. So it’s worth still being careful.

STAY HOME — We’re once again a bit outside of “stay the hell home” territory, but it’s still the time to minimize trips out and social events. Especially indoors.

At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But as much as you can avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the better.

Avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. With rates still pretty bad it’s not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Unless you can both stay mostly masked, outdoors, it’s still a good general rule to put social events with friends off for a few weeks. Hopefully we’ll have better news with the next update.

Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. When you have to do indoor errands mask up and make them as quick as you reasonably can. We’re still in a situation where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, unmasked, has a solid likelihood of giving you covid.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN VACCINE — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine this past autumn had some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now much more widely available, including at the local health department.

Remember this updated shot doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others as well. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with rates still pretty bad. We continue to get more information about its resilience, and it’s holding up pretty well even against the hyper-contagious JN.1 variant that’s wreaked such havoc this winter. One of the factors in the particularly brutal winter spike is a lack of folks getting it.

Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a location to double-check.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

While masks are still useful even if no one else is wearing one, right now everyone should be wearing one. If you’re running an event, you should require it. As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 still provides solid protection for well over an hour, especially if you take a second and make sure the mask fits well and has a solid seal. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into especially hazardous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

With rates still quite high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another, then twelve hours after that a third. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take two rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

BE STRICT ABOUT COVID — It’s better to have some hard conversations than wreck someone’s life or health because it was socially inconvenient. Sadly there are still far, far too. many unwilling to take covid seriously and there are even more this year than last. Such behaviors are still incredibly dangerous.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. Asheville’s incredibly high covid rates and the human misery they reflect are a hard reminder of that. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real and lasting damage, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk locals who are widely treated as expendable. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends remains a community failure too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is needed now more than ever, especially as we’re still facing bouts of cold weather. During the height of the first pandemic waves it was a pretty common sight to see locals dropping off food and supplies for each other. That still needs to be the order of the day. Indeed, every month from March 2020 offers a stark lesson in how badly needed community mutual aid is. Higher-risk people are being widely treated as expendable by government, businesses and, sadly, too many communities.

Do the opposite. Drop off a home-cooked meal. Grab something a friend needs if you have access and they don’t. Check in on each other. This is even more essential with rates this high, as higher-risk folks are more likely to face isolation and depression.

While every covid spike is a deeply frustrating thing to endure, this winter’s been particularly hard. Honestly the combination of a bit of hope combined with uncertainty feels like deja vu. But however frustrating it’s still important to take this seriously. The more of us do so, the easier that gets.

COVID WAVE ALERT — March 5, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Regrettably the good news we had two weeks ago didn’t hold: covid rates in Asheville have hit an ugly plateau. This is unusual for a winter wave, but indicates a dangerous situation

• Sadly it’s still necessary to keep up pretty strict precautions. Wear an N95 in all public places. Avoid unnecessary trips and stay home when you can. Test frequently. Get the updated shot.

Unfortunately the optimistic signs we saw two weeks ago didn’t hold. Local covid rates are back up. While they haven’t hit the horrific levels we saw earlier this winter they’re still in a really bad place.

Virus in wastewater levels — the best indicator of local covid spread we still have — hit an ugly plateau and have pretty much stayed there.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

As you can see those rates are well above catastrophic levels. Simply put there is still a hell of a lot of covid in our communities and we’re not seeing the usual late winter declines.

It’s not clear yet what, beyond the newer JN.1 variant, is causing this year to be so different from the others. But as it stands it’s a lot worse.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This seems to be a regional phenomenon: rates outside the South are mostly continuing to decline. But as tourism slowly starts to ramp up again in Asheville our town is particularly vulnerable to it. SoCon is this weekend, and there is absolutely zero way that giant virus-fest helps anything on this front. Thousands of people screaming in a packed arena is an ideal ground for covid to run amok.

While this is the last news we wanted to deliver, it’s the reality of where we are.

Steps to take

With rates stuck at the really bad levels they’re at, it’s still time to be fairly strict until we see some clear, sustained signs that covid’s declining in our communities.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s still the time to minimize trips out and social events. Stay home when you can. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But in general avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

Avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. With rates still at dangerous levels this ain’t the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Unless you can both stay masked, outdoors, it’s a good general rule to put social events with friends off for a few weeks.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine late last autumn saw real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now much more widely available, including at the local health department.

Additionally, if you got the latest mRNA shot (Pfizer or Moderna) over two months ago, you’re now eligible to get the Novavax updated vaccine as well. If you’re over 65 you can also get a second mRNA shot if you got one last Fall. Either option can provide a solid boost to one’s immune system as a time when it’d particularly needed and all of these seem to hold up relatively well against the JN.1 variant that’s currently running rampant.

Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a given location to double-check.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 still provides solid protection for well over an hour, especially if you take a second and make sure the mask fits well and has a solid seal. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into especially hazardous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

If you have to go out, in addition to masking anti-covid nasal sprays like covixyl can also help prevent infection. Again, this isn’t an excuse to be reckless, but it can provide another layer of protection.

With rates this high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another, then twelve hours after that a third. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take three rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. Asheville’s incredibly high covid rates and the human misery they reflect, are a hard reminder of that. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real and lasting damage, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are widely treated as expendable. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends is in part a community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is desperately needed now. During the height of the first pandemic waves it was a pretty common sight to see locals dropping off food and supplies for each other. That still needs to be the order of the day. Higher-risk people are being widely treated as expendable by government, businesses and, sadly, too many communities.

The opposite response is needed. Drop off a home-cooked meal. Grab something a friend needs if you have access and they don’t. Check in on each other. This is even more essential during winter with rates this high, as higher-risk folks are more likely to face isolation and depression.

This has honestly been a particularly depressing update to research and write. But this is where we are. This is where our communities are. These are the dangers we face. Honesty is the only way through.

COVID WAVE ALERT — February 19, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Finally, for the first time since early December we’re seeing a real, sharp decline in Asheville’s covid rates. But spread of the virus throughout our community remains rampant and likely will for another few weeks

• While it may be possible to relax some of the strictest precautions, risks of infection are still very real. Wear an N95 in all public settings. Test frequently. Get the updated shot. When you can, dial back on in-person errands and stay home more

Readers, after our last update covid rates hit an ugly and unusual plateau. This time this wasn’t just an Asheville phenomenon — it happened across the country — but now they’re finally on the way back down at a sustained, faster rate.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This is a lot closer to what we should be seeing this time of year: as the height of tourist season and the holidays fades, virus in wastewater rates start to sharply drop. For the first time since those rates started to seriously rise in early December, that’s what we’re seeing.

Still, as we’ve said a lot recently: these rates are coming down from incredibly, historically high levels. That means it will take a bit — likely at least another two weeks — before covid risks are seriously reduced. While things aren’t as bad as they were in early January, they’re still bad.

Indeed, comparing rates this winter to the last two gives a useful idea just how harsh this season’s been.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Fortunately, as we mentioned earlier, the drivers of covid spread here are all fading. Weather’s going to warm up a bit more in a few weeks — meaning more outdoor options available — but it will be awhile before tourism roars back. As that industry is a massive driver of covid spread, that might give our city some much-needed respite. That’s not a reason to get reckless, but it’s cause for some cautious hope.

Steps to take

Things are looking a lot better than they were a few weeks ago, but we’re still a ways off from the truly lower covid rates we’d need to see to move the overall risk level down.

STAY HOME — While we’re just a bit outside of “stay the hell home” territory, especially given the pace rates are dropping at, it’s still the time to minimize trips out and social events. Especially indoors.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Remember this updated shot doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others as well. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with rates still pretty bad. We’re now getting better information about its resilience, and it’s holding up pretty well even against the hyper-contagious JN.1 variant that’s wreaked such havoc this winter.

Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a given location to double-check.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

With still very high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another, then twelve hours after that a third. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take two rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. Asheville’s incredibly high covid rates and the human misery they reflect are a hard reminder of that. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real and lasting damage, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are widely treated as expendable. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends reamins a community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is needed now more than ever, especially as we’re still facing bouts of frigid winter weather. During the height of the first pandemic waves it was a pretty common sight to see locals dropping off food and supplies for each other. That still needs to be the order of the day. Higher-risk people are being widely treated as expendable by government, businesses and, sadly, too many communities.

In two weeks we’ll hopefully have far better news to bring y’all. But right now we’re still not quite there, so keep doing what you can. It matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — January 30, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• While covid rates in Asheville are declining from a record peak, they remain at incredibly high levels. While they will probably keep going down in coming weeks, we’re still in a very risky time

• It’s still necessary to take strict precautions. Stay home as much as possible. Wear an N95 in all public situations. Get the updated shot. Test extensively before seeing anyone outside of your household

Readers, we have some good news this week but it comes in what’s still a very bad situation. The record levels of local covid spread — as we saw measured by virus in wastewater — we faced two weeks ago have peaked and are now in decline.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

That said, covid rates remain in a very dangerous place, some of the highest of the entire pandemic except for the weeks we just went through. Barring a miracle it will be a few weeks, at least, before we’re below catastrophic levels of covid spread in the Asheville area.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Still, it’s better to be here than where we were, especially as we’re finally past tourism season, and that industry is consistently a major driver of covid infections. Declines from holiday covid spikes tend to be fairly rapid. Hopefully this year will not be an exception.

Steps to take

While the situation’s certainly improving, the risks of getting covid still remain incredibly high. For the time being it’s a really good idea to keep stricter precautions in place.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s still the time to minimize trips out and social events. Stay home when you can. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But as much as you can avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

Avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. With rates still at dangerous levels the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Unless you can both stay masked, outdoors, it’s a good general rule to put social events with friends off for a few weeks.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with — and at this point they need to be very clear — avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine saw real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now much more widely available, including at the local health department.

Additionally, if you got the latest mRNA shot (Pfizer or Moderna) over two months ago, you’re now eligible to get the Novavax updated vaccine as well. That can provide a solid boost to one’s immune system as a time when it’d particularly needed and it seems to hold up relatively well against the JN.1 variant that’s currently running rampant.

Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a given location to double-check.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take three rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is needed now more than ever, especially with winter weather on the way. During the height of the first pandemic waves it was a pretty common sight to see locals dropping off food and supplies for each other. That still needs to be the order of the day. Higher-risk people are being widely treated as expendable by government, businesses and, sadly, too many communities.

After a covid spike has peaked can be a strange time, when things are improving but still not quite where they need to be to relax some precautions. But while this wave’s been deeply frustrating and exhausting, it’s important to hold the line as best we can for a few more weeks. We keep us safe.

COVID WAVE ALERT — January 16, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Covid rates in Asheville — the ones we can still measure, anyway — have hit the highest levels ever recorded. This is part of an ugly nationwide wave but it’s even worse here. Infections are rampant and incredibly common

• Taking the strictest precautions you can is necessary right now. Stay home as much as possible. Wear an N95 in all public situations. Get the updated shot. Test extensively before seeing anyone outside of your household

The time we’ve feared for the past month has finally come, as Asheville’s hit the highest covid rates — as measured by virus in wastewater — ever recorded. These rates are still rising. Sharply. This indicates an incredibly dangerous level of covid spread and makes activities that could be done with some safety at lower risk levels have a far higher risk of infection.

While the Asheville area has occasionally seen higher individual wastewater readings, those have been outliers that didn’t match up with the other data being reported at the time. That’s not the case this time: the incredibly high readings we’re seeing right now are part of a consistent and ugly trend.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

These rates also come at exactly the time we’d expect to see a surge in covid. The weeks after new year’s day are always among the worst of the entire year, as holiday events, work demands and tourism create an environment perfect for the virus to run rampant.

This year was already seeing catastrophically high covid levels even before those holidays hit. Now they’ve broken the previous grim record set during the first omicron wave in the winter of 2021-22.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Rates are also still going up as fast as they can go, so it’s likely to be several weeks before we see any real improvement.

This is part of a severe nationwide wave, driven by the end of many basic safety measures and the JN.1 variant, but as is often the case Asheville’s seeing an even worse situation. Runaway tourism combined with the near-total lack of precautions from local governments, medical facilities, businesses and community spaces has made things particularly dire here.

Steps to take

This is the last news we ever wanted to report, but it’s the reality of where we are. While people’s lives and individual risk levels can vary, whatever your strictest covid precautions look like, now’s the time to take them. Every step matters.

STAY THE HELL HOME — Now is definitely the time to minimize trips out and social events. Stay home whenever you can. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But as much as you can avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

Avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. With rates at record levels it’s really not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Unless you can both stay masked, outdoors, it’s a good general rule to put social events with friends — even covid-cautious ones — off for a few weeks. Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. Any indoor errand you can put off for awhile, do so. When you have to do indoor errands mask up and make them as quick as you reasonably can. We’re now in a situation where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, unmasked, has a high likelihood of giving you covid.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with — and at this point they need to be really, really clear — avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine saw real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now more widely available, including at the local health department.

Additionally, if you got the latest mRNA shot (Pfizer or Moderna) over two months ago, you’re now eligible to get the Novavax updated vaccine as well. That can provide a solid boost to one’s immune system as a time when it’d particularly needed. Most CVS and Publix pharmacies locally are offering the Novavax shot, with many of them accepting walk-ins if they’re not busy. We recommend calling a given location to double-check.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take three rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. The record rates Asheville’s seeing, and the human misery they reflect, are a hard reminder of that. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real and lasting damage, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are being widely treated as expendable. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends is in part a community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

The opposite response is needed. Drop off a home-cooked meal. Grab something a friend needs if you have access and they don’t. Check in on each other. This is even more essential after the holidays with rates this high, as higher-risk folks are more likely to face isolation and depression.

In the past weeks we have seen more locals sharing these alerts, taking additional precautions and talking about covid risks with their friends and neighbors. As bleak as these times are, there is still real care and community within them. That matters. We keep us safe.

COVID WAVE ALERT — December 24, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Covid rates in Asheville are skyrocketing towards an all-time high just as the holidays arrive. This is an incredibly bad situation and it is — for now — only getting worse

• Strict precautions are necessary to reduce risks of infection to yourself and others. Wear an N95 in all public settings. Stay at home when possible. Get the updated vaccine. Reduce errands to a minimum. Test extensively before meeting anyone outside your household

Readers, the news keeps getting worse and worse on Asheville’s covid front. While covid rates were already into catastrophic territory, they’ve skyrocketed over the past two weeks. We are now looking at some of the highest virus in wastewater rates ever recorded in this area.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

If rates continue to increase for another week, they’ll break the all-time high recorded in the 2021-22 omicron wave.

What we have now isn’t following the pattern of previous winter waves, with rates starting to rise after Thanksgiving and then shooting up after Christmas or even New Year’s to reach a peak in January.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

To be clear, those waves were all plenty bad in their own right. But what we’ve got now is the covid equivalent of a perfect storm. Rates are already in catastrophic territory and skyrocketing before Christmas and New Year’s. Before people pack together, indoors, in crowded holiday gatherings. Before we always see a sharp increase in infections.

That means it’s almost certain that Asheville’s winter covid spike is going to get worse — probably a lot worse — before it gets better.

Steps to take

At this point take every precaution you can and cut out any risks you can. We know this is painful and frustrating. Believe us, the members of the Blade co-op who analyze and put together these alerts would love to just be able to relax with their friends and loved ones this time of year. But care also means dedication and sacrifice. The fact is every measure of covid rates we have is currently screaming that this is one of the most unsafe times we’ve seen since the first vaccines came out. Strict precautions are a must at this point. While that will vary for each person and household — capitalism loves to put people at risk — take any of them you can.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s important to stay home as much as possible until rates are truly below their current catastrophic level. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But as much as you can avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

Avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. With rates near record highs it’s really not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. Any indoor errand you can put off for awhile, do so. When you have to do indoor errands mask up and make them as quick as you reasonably can. We’re now in a situation where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, unmasked, has a solid likelihood of giving you covid.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with — and at this point they need to be real damn clear — avoid close contact for the time being.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — While the initial rollout of the latest vaccine has seen some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now more widely available, including at the local health department.

The Buncombe County Health Department is offering the updated booster during their walk-in hours, which are 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. You can also book appointments in advance for the coming weeks.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it. Wear two of them, one over another, if you can.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 still provides solid protection for well over an hour. In particularly prolonged or dangerous situations, consider layering a second, well-fitting N95 over it if if you can fit-test it. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into especially hazardous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

With rates this high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take two rapid tests at least twelve hours apart.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real and lasting damage, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are being widely treated as expendable in the “back to normal” status quo. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends is in part a community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

The opposite response is needed. Drop off a home-cooked meal. Grab something a friend needs if you have access and they don’t. Check in on each other. This is even more essential during the holidays with rates this high, when higher-risk folks face even worse isolation and depression.

For every one of you out there facing the truth and doing what you can: thank you. It matters, especially now. Holiday traditions vary, of course, but what’s worthwhile in all of them is community care and nourishment during difficult times. We keep us safe, and we’ll keep doing that as long as we need to.

COVID WAVE ALERT — December 12, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Covid rates in Asheville still remain catastrophically high heading into the height of the holiday season. Sadly, right now there’s no sign they’ll come down soon.

• Risks are so heightened right now that strict precautions are necessary to keep each other safe. So wear an N95 in any public setting, get the update vaccine, test before meeting those outside your household and — when you can — stay home

Readers, it’s sadly another bleak week: covid risks in the Asheville area remain at catastrophic levels. With the height of the holidays close at hand, there’s unlikely to be relief any time soon.

Local virus in wastewater levels remain incredibly, stubbornly high.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

While we saw a moment of relief in October, the sad fact is that this year has seen one of the worst, most prolonged covid spikes in the city’s history. Comparing rates to the last few years shows exactly how much worse this one is.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This, tragically, is where “back to normal” and “good vibes only” get us. Combined with Asheville’s terminally conflict-averse culture that regards insisting on basic precautions or speaking honestly about what we’re facing as an unforgivable intrusion, and we’re in an even worse situation than many other cities. The “terminally” can be quite literal when it comes to covid. Repeat infections have created a ripe environment for other diseases like pneumonia to spread.

But that’s the truth of where we are. While covid risks were at a much more manageable level throughout much of the first half of the year, we’re in a horrific situation now. That’s likely to be our reality for awhile.

Steps to take

The precautions necessary at this point are pretty strict. It may not be possible to follow all of them all of the time, especially in a city so intent on ignoring covid. But every one that you can stick to increases protections for you and those around you in ways that really matter.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s important to stay home as much as possible until rates are truly below their current catastrophic level. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But in general avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

So avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. Any indoor errand you can put off for awhile, do so. When you have to do indoor errands mask up and make them as quick as you reasonably can. We’re now in a situation where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, unmasked, has a solid likelihood of giving you covid.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being, barring a lot of testing beforehand.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Remember this booster doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others as well. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with rates this bad.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 (preferably with another mask tightly over it) still provides solid protection for well over an hour. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into dangerous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

With rates this high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take one rapid test (preferably two, 12 hours apart).

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

But the pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to real danger to our community, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are being widely treated as expendable in the “back to normal” status quo. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid wave that never ends is in part a community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

Ever since 2020 the holidays have been a time of increased covid danger. As much as we might want it to be otherwise, that still remains the case. It’s important to honestly face what we’re up against and act accordingly.

COVID WAVE ALERT — November 28, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Unfortunately seasonal tourism has sent covid rates shooting up to catastrophic levels again, just in time for the holidays. This is bad news at the worst possible time, but it’s the truth

• Get the updated booster ASAP. Wear an N95 in public. Reduce errands and stay home when you can. Test, repeatedly if possible, before meeting anyone outside of your household

Well, readers, we’re back here again. Leaf season tourism and colder temperatures pushing people inside have combined to send local covid rates shooting up sharply.

According to virus in wastewater, the main measure of local covid spread we’ve still got left, we’re well back in catastrophic territory, with covid incredibly widespread in the Asheville area.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

In some ways the covid surge that started in late August never really stopped. In some ways this is uncharted territory: rates right now are significantly worse than the past two years.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Yet on another level this is depressingly predictable. Until something serious changes — precautions making a comeback, tourism seeing a serious decline or a drastically improved vaccine — this is where we are.

The timing could not be worse. Typically we haven’t seen winter holiday covid surges fully hit until December or even January, as seasonal get-togethers and events send rates up. This time we’re already seeing sky high rates by Thanksgiving. This is bleak and exhausting, but it’s the reality of where we are and we have to fact it.

Steps to take

Well here we are again. As always, do as many of these as you can. Every single precaution matters, especially when rates are this high.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s important to stay home as much as possible until rates are truly below their current catastrophic level. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But in general avoid unnecessary outings to public places with a bunch of other people: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

So avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. Any indoor errand you can put off for awhile, do so. Make indoor errands, masked, as quick as you reasonably can. We’re still in a situation where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, unmasked, has a solid likelihood of giving you covid.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being, barring a lot of testing beforehand.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — There is, finally, a new covid booster here. While the initial rollout has seen some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, it’s now more widely available, including at the local health department.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 (preferably with another mask tightly over it) still provides solid protection for well over an hour. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into dangerous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

With rates this high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take a rapid test. Twelve hours later take another. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take one rapid test (preferably two, 12 hours apart).

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

But the pandemic simply isn’t over. It has somehow still not gone away because a lot of people are acting like it has. This has led to some real danger to our community, especially to immunocompromised and higher-risk people who are currently being widely treated as expendable in the “back to normal” status quo. While gentry governments and greedy businesses rightly deserve the lion’s share of the blame, the covid waves that never ends are community failures too. Mental health is not an excuse for being dangerously reckless.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

This is the last news we want to bring our readers, but knowing what we’re up against is the first step to doing something about it. To everyone who is: thank you, and know you’re not alone.

COVID WAVE ALERT — November 14, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Leaf season tourism has stalled a promising decline in local covid rates, which remain unusually high compared to previous years

• Heading into the winter holidays is a really, really bad time for this to happen. Avoid crowded indoor spaces. Wear an N95 indoors and in crowded outdoor situations. Test frequently.

Sadly, readers, the promising declines in local covid rates stalled pretty quickly. While things haven’t, fortunately, shot back up to the catastrophic risk levels we saw in late summer, they’re still at troubling levels.

Virus in wastewater has remained at high rates for the past three weeks.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

While there’s a lot of factors at work in local covid risks, tourism is a major one. And, lo and behold, these high risk levels come right in time for leaf season. As that ends, we’re on to the winter holidays, which are traditionally one of the worst times of the year for covid spread. It’s not good that rates are this high, this late.

Asheville has been in a covid wave for over a year and a half now. Sadly that shows no signs of changing.

While giving an honest depiction of Asheville’s covid situation naturally involves a lot of bleak news, it’s worth comparing this year to previous ones. Since August we’ve consistently seen far worse rates than the last two years. Sadly, that’s still the case.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

The only thing blunting this, for the moment, is that locals seem to be going for the updated covid shot in relatively high numbers. While state health agencies have stopped reporting vaccination numbers, we’re seeing lines at the health department as locals queue up. A similar thing happened last year. For all the faults in this town’s covid response, Ashevillians tend to go for vaccinations and boosters at higher rates than elsewhere.

Steps to take

With rates staying in troublingly high territory, it’s worth keeping up some solid precautions. While we’re fortunately not in the dire situation we were back in September, plenty of locals are still getting sick.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — With highly contagious variants running around, cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against any of them. You need to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups who are taking careful precautions). If you can, it’s preferable to double-mask with another mask over an N95.

While it’s certainly really helpful if everyone in a place is wearing a mask, N95s offer substantial individual protection even if no one else is, especially when layered with another mask. They are essential right now.

Indeed, during a time like this when there’s a lot of uncertainty, it’s not a bad idea to rapid test a few times a week if you have the supplies to do so. That can help detect cases before they spread to others in your community or social circle. Plenty of covid cases are asymptomatic, and tests can help catch these.

While tests have become harder to access with the end of the public health emergency, the Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given rates are still pretty high it remains a really good idea to avoid being maskless indoors around a bunch of strangers whenever you can.

Sadly, even in more ostensibly left-leaning communities people are still facing a lot of pressure to come, unmasked, to risky events. That does not change the hard fact that taking this precaution still remains necessary. Our communities are still reeling from the damage caused by last summer’s covid wave and plenty more was done by the recent severe spike.

Limit errands — Errands still hold some real risk with rates still high, so it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until we see them decline some more. If you do need to go into a store, wear an N95 and make it quick. If you can time it for a less busy part of the day, do.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Get the updated booster — While the initial rollout had some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, the new covid booster is now more widely available, including at the local health department.

Remember this booster doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly increases resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others even if you do get it. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with winter approaching.

Stay vigilant and communicate — This remains important during times like this. It’s important you and those around you stay clear on the risks and the precautions you collectively need to take.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking even the most basic steps to keep themselves and others safe. Don’t.

Instead talk to each other, be clear about what the risks are right now and what you and those close to you need to do to navigate this wave. If someone’s doing something dangerous, even unintentionally, say so. Many of us live with others with a variety of risk levels, and it’s important to be honest so we can all figure out how to best navigate that.

We’re heading into another hard winter, and everyone still taking this seriously is exhausted as hell. But we do what do for our communities, and it still matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — October 24, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Continuing and solid declines in local covid rates have truly reduced covid risks from the catastrophic territory they were recently, but they still remain high

• Get the updated booster now. Wear an N95 in indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. Test regularly and avoid particularly risky activities

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

There is some good news this update, as the declining covid rates of the past few weeks have finally taken us out of the catastrophic risk levels we started seeing back in late August. Risk levels are truly down from where they were before and covid’s no longer running completely rampant.

Virus in wastewater — the main public health measure we have left — continues to decline, though that’s slowed somewhat in the past week.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

That said, covid rates have declined from “incredibly, chart-breakingly bad” down to “still lots of infections going on.” We’re still seeing way higher rates than last year, for example, which is not good given the leaves are changing so we’re hitting the height of tourist season.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Another piece of good news is that despite some supply and scheduling snarls lots of locals are getting the updated booster, which does provide some real protection and curb transmission. That might be one of the drivers behind the declines of recent weeks.

That said, we’re heading into a time of year when covid rates traditionally stay on the higher end. We won’t know for awhile if local risks will decline back to where they were for most of this year.

Steps to take

With a very real decline in local risk levels some of the stricter precautions necessary during the past month can be relaxed. That said, rates still remain pretty high and there’s plenty of covid running around in our communities.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — With all the variants running around highly contagious, cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against any of them. You need to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups who are taking careful precautions). If you can, it’s preferable to double-mask with another mask over an N95.

While tests have become harder to access with the end of the public health emergency, the Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Get the updated booster — While the initial rollout has seen some real issues, especially at corporate pharmacies, the new covid booster is now more widely available, including at the local health department.

Remember this booster doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid, it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others even if you do get it. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with winter approaching.

Stay vigilant and communicate — This remains important during times of transitional covid risk like this. It’s important you and those around you stay clear on the risks and the precautions you collectively need to take.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking even the most basic steps to keep themselves and others safe. Don’t.

It’s harder to see those of us that continue to take the pandemic seriously because we’re not posting maskless selfies from crowded events. But there remain plenty of us, and every step we take, every time we work together to face this danger we help protect our communities.

COVID WAVE ALERT — October 10, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• We’re finally seeing some truly good news on the local covid front, with a real and rapid decline at the same time new boosters become more widely available. But the spread of the virus here is still at catastrophic rates

• Get. The. Booster. Now. Wear an N95 in public. Stay home when you can. Test before seeing anyone outside your pod or household

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Well there is, finally, some truly good news on the local covid front, with updated boosters arriving about the same time local covid spread — as measured by virus in wastewater — is seeing a rapid drop.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This was some desperately needed relief because since early August local covid rates had been skyrocketing. If this holds we’ll likely see a real reduction in risks here in the coming weeks.

However, the rates it’s rapidly declining from were really, really bad. Seriously the past few months have seen some of the worst virus in wastewater rates of the entire pandemic.

So for the time being there’s still a lot of covid running around locally and risks remain at catastrophic levels, if just barely.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

The spread of covid locally will probably be further curbed as folks who’ve gotten the updated booster hit their heights of protection about two weeks after the shot. It’s worth remembering updated vaccinations don’t just help the person getting them but also seriously reduce the chance of spreading covid even if one does. The relatively high rate of locals who got last year’s booster played a key role in finally bringing rates down in a serious way.

But we’re not quite there yet.

Steps to take

As it stands, strict precautions necessary to protect ourselves and our communities until infection risks come down even more.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s important to stay home as much as possible until rates are truly below their current catastrophic level. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But in general avoid going out any time you can: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being, barring a lot of testing beforehand.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 (preferably with another mask tightly over it) still provides solid protection for well over an hour. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into dangerous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

With rates this high, knowing if you’ve been infected is key. If you think you might have been exposed, isolate as much as possible for at least three days and take one. Twelve hours later take another. This practice works and has literally saved lives.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take one rapid test (preferably two, 12 hours apart).

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, needs to make a major comeback. During the height of the first pandemic waves it was a pretty common sight to see locals dropping off food and supplies for each other. That still needs to be the order of the day. Higher-risk people are being widely treated as expendable by government, businesses and, sadly, too many communities. The opposite response is needed. Drop off a home-cooked meal. Grab something a friend needs if you have access and they don’t. Check in on each other.

For everyone who’s still taking this seriously — and there are a lot more of us than there often seems — thank you. This wave would have doubtless been far worse without your efforts.

We keep us safe.

COVID WAVE ALERT — September 26, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• The sharp spike in Asheville’s covid rates has us back to catastrophic risk levels worse than the winter wave. This is thoroughly “stay the hell home” territory

• Updated covid boosters are available. Get them now. Wear an N95 in any public situation and test before meeting anyone outside your pod or household. Again: stay home when you can

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

The bad news in our last alert sadly got a hell of a lot worse. It’s honestly been difficult trying to put a larger alert together because the situation has been changing so quickly.

But over the past days a firmer picture’s emerged: covid rates are really, really, really bad and updated boosters are here.

Virus in wastewater readings over the past weeks show skyrocketing covid risks as we’re back into catastrophic territory for the first time since January.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

We’ve seen some very slight leveling off in the past week or so, but it leaves our communities stuck with a level of covid infections so widespread it’s literally off our previous chart.

For context, here’s this year’s covid virus in wastewater rates compared to those from last year, when we had a pretty serious summer wave.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

While tourism remains blessedly down from last year’s highs the combination of incredibly infectious variants and nearly zero precautions in most spaces has proven devastating.

The one silver lining is that updated boosters are, after some snags, finally more widely available. So far data shows that they provide substantial protection from the variants currently circulating. This doesn’t just keep one out of the hospital or the morgue, but also significantly reduces the chance of infection from about two weeks to three months after. Importantly, the boosters also act to stop or slow the virus’ spread in situations where it’d otherwise run rampant.

If, and it’s a big “if,” we see a lot of locals get those shots, we could see this wave crest in the coming weeks.

Steps to take

We’re back to where we last were this winter, with pretty strict precautions necessary to protect ourselves and our communities.

STAY THE HELL HOME — It’s important to stay home as much as possible until rates are below their current catastrophic level. At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But in general avoid going out any time you can: the less you and those in your household are exposed right now the safer you are.

So avoid bars and restaurants like, well, the plague. Anything you can get curbside, no-contact or delivery, do. Any indoor errand you can put off for awhile, do so. This is the point in a wave where waiting in a packed line at the grocery store, masked, can still get you covid in unlucky enough circumstances.

Unless someone is in your household or in a group that you’ve set up clear testing and covid agreements with, avoid close contact for the time being, barring a lot of testing beforehand.

GET THE DAMN BOOSTER — There is, finally, a new covid booster here. While the initial rollout hit some snags last week, it’s now available at most pharmacies and the local health deaprtment.

This booster doesn’t just protect you from the worst impacts of covid it significantly boosts resistance to infection and reduces the likelihood of you spreading it to others as well. It’s not bulletproof, and has to be done alongside other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with rates as bad as they are now.

WEAR AN N95 AND RAPID TEST A LOT — An N95-level mask (or better) is absolutely necessary. Anything less simply will not cut it.

Don’t assume masks aren’t useful if no one else is wearing one, but right now everyone should be wearing one (and if you’re running an event, you should require it). As infectious as the latest variants are, an N95 (preferably with another mask tightly over it) still provides solid protection for well over an hour. That’s not an excuse to push your luck or intentionally go into dangerous situations, but it can mean the difference between getting covid and not when you do have to risk exposure.

If you’re seeing anyone outside your immediate household/pod in close circumstances, everyone involved needs to at least take one rapid test (preferably two, 12 hours apart).

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests and N95 masks to those in need.

So be blunt. Hell, be rude if you see something particularly hazardous being done for no good reason and you speaking up could at all change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

We’re still seeing the effects of long covid — people’s lives and immune systems wrecked, especially after repeated infection — mount.

When covid, once again, tears through our communities it’s important to restate a hard fact: anyone not taking basic covid precautions right now is betraying their communities and their friends. Thousands in our city will have to suffer the damage from that for the rest of their lives.

That’s where we are. Refusing to face reality costs people their health and lives, and every step you take to fight back matters. Please know you’re not alone.

COVID WAVE ALERT — September 5, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• COVID rates in Asheville are seeing an ugly, sustained rise. Unless something changes, we’ll be back to catastrophic risk levels in a matter of weeks

• It’s necessary to be very careful about precautions. Wear an N95 in any indoor public place as well as crowded outdoor ones. Test frequently and review precautions carefully with those close to you

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

The sliver of good news in our last alert, sadly, didn’t last. The covid situation in the Asheville area is, bluntly, pretty bleak. We’re seeing ugly, sustained increases in covid in local wastewater.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Unlike earlier spikes in late April and mid-July, this one seems here to stay. This isn’t just a few high readings, but a consistent pattern over two weeks at a time when rates are rising both nationally and regionally. We’re also still a few weeks out from the updated boosters. All that means that things will likely get a good deal worse before they get better.

For comparison wastewater rates right now are consistently worse than even during last summer’s awful wave.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

What’s even worse than last summer is that there are even fewer precautions and there’s less public health data to gauge the scale and dangers of what we’re up against. State public health agencies aren’t even counting the dead here anymore, though the statewide data we still do have shows some ugly trends.

We still have to do all we can.

Steps to take

It was probably inevitable we’d end up back here, as a renewed and ugly wave is the inevitable result of the “do nothing and pretend covid’s gone” mentality that seems to have spread, like the virus, across the u.s., state and city.

But as we know, there are still plenty of people who are trying to take this seriously and do all they can to keep themselves and our wider communities safe.

While we’re not yet officially at catastrophic covid spread levels, we’re pretty close. So it’s worth keeping to the following very strictly.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — While the state health department’s utterly neglected its monitoring of which variants we’re currently up against, cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against any of them. You need to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups who are taking careful precautions). If you can, its’ preferable to double-mask with another mask over an N95. With the current variants being so incredibly infectious this is really important right now.

While tests have become harder to access with the end of the public health emergency, the Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given the recent, rapidly-increasing rates it’s a really good idea to avoid being maskless indoors around a bunch of strangers whenever you can.

Sadly, even in more ostensibly left-leaning communities people are still facing a lot of pressure to come, unmasked, to risky events. That does not change the hard fact that taking this precaution is especially necessary right now. Our communities are still reeling from the damage caused by last summer’s covid wave.

Limit errands — Errands hold a lot more risk than they did a few weeks ago, so it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until this surge seriously starts to go down. If you do need to go into a store, wear an N95 and make it quick. If you can time it for a less busy part of the day, do.

Stay up to date on your shots — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the current boosters both reduce the possibility of infection and offer bolstered protections against its worst impacts. They’ve continued to hold up pretty well. When the updated booster comes out next month make sure to get it as soon as you can.

The local health department still offers free boosters. Local pharmacies, including Walgreen’s, Ingle’s, CVS and West Asheville’s B and B pharmacy, will also offer they updated omicron booster when it arrives. Contact them for more details.

Stay vigilant and communicate — This is particularly important when covid risks are skyrocketing; if you wait to strengthen your precautions until rates are even worse it’s going to be too late.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking basic precautions. Don’t.

Part of surviving this pandemic is endurance, being able to keep on even in the face of these waves hitting our communities again and again. It is dull and frustrating and stressful, but it also saves health and lives. Please know you’re not alone in this fight.

COVID WAVE ALERT — August 22, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• While the level of local covid spread has declined some, it still remains fairly high as the nationwide summer surge continues

• Stricter precautions are necessary to get through this time. Avoid crowded indoor spaces as much as possible. Wear an N95 mask in public settings. Test regularly

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

The good news — or less awful news, more accurately — is that we’re not in as bad a place as we were two weeks ago. The bad news is that while local covid rates have come down a bit, they still remain dangerously high as part of widespread national surge. Not shockingly pretending a highly infectious virus is gone doesn’t make it go away.

Virus in wastewater declined from its peak two weeks ago but then leveled off. That leaves local covid risks on an ugly plateau.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

We won’t know for two more weeks whether this is a pause before rates come back down, the new normal for the rest of the season or just a lull before rates shoot back up.

That said, statewide wastewater levels are incredibly ugly right now, resembling those last seen in the winter wave. Given Asheville’s a tourist destination and that industry is one of the main drivers of the pandemic here, that doesn’t bode well.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

As precautions — and even the data to know what we’re facing — keep diminishing, it becomes harder to rein in covid spread. So when something like a new strain, a slew of holidays or a surge in tourism comes along there’s far less tools and awareness to limit its impact and bring the risks back down. While measures like seasonal boosters certainly help, minus a major change in community thinking that’s probably our reality for the foreseeable future.

Steps to take

We’re still facing high levels of covid spread, and it’s necessary to take stricter precautions to keep yourself and others safe. Every one of these you can take, do so.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — Cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against omicron variants, which are still overwhelmingly what we’re facing. You need to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups who are taking careful precautions). If you can, its’ preferable to double-mask with another mask over an N95. With the current variants being so incredibly infectious this is really important right now.

While tests have become harder to access with the end of the public health emergency, the Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Limit errands — Errands hold more risk than they did a few weeks ago, so it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until this surge seriously starts to go down. If you do need to go into a store, wear an N95 and make it quick. If you can time it for a less busy part of the day, do.

Stay vigilant and communicate — This is particularly important when covid risks are starting to spike; if you wait to strengthen your precautions until rates are worse it’s going to be too late.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking basic precautions. Don’t.

This is a deeply uncertain time, even by pandemic standards. But you’re not anxious or paranoid for not wanting to get a potentially devastating virus. Everything you and those around you can do matters, especially right now.

COVID WAVE ALERT — August 8, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• The nationwide covid wave is hitting Asheville hard, and community risks are now at a higher, more dangerous level

• For the first time since early March we’re back at a High risk level. Avoid crowded indoor spaces, limit errands and make sure to wear an N95 in public indoor spaces and crowded outdoor ones. Regular testing is also very important

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Unfortunately, readers, this is going to be a pretty bleak update. There’s now a nationwide covid surge, and Asheville is no exception. Since the early Spring rates here have remained substantial enough to keep us in a wave — sometimes barely — but lower than they were for much of last year.

Over the past two weeks this changed, with rates of virus in wastewater moving up consistently and rapidly. Unlike other spikes in wastewater, this one didn’t come down quickly enough to leave community risk levels un-affected. We have clear evidence that there’s a lot more covid here and the risks of catching it are considerably higher than they were two weeks ago.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Basically all the public health alarms we have left are blaring loudly right now. Unlike last year’s wave, when Asheville aggressively pushing tourism and discarding precautions led to a wave much uglier than many other cities in the region, this one is part of larger nationwide trend. But locally the fact we’re in the height of tourist season sure doesn’t help. Neither does the decision to end the public health emergency this Spring, killing much public health data and making it a lot harder to access tools like rapid tests.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

There isn’t any one single variant driving this surge — instead a host of omicron XBB variants are behind it — which is both good news and bad news.

On the one hand many locals have already had some exposure to XBB variants and the bivalent booster, which a fair amount of Ashevillians have gotten, has held up relatively well against them. The seasonal boosters that will probably roll out later this month or in early September are also specifically targeted against XBB, which means some renewed protection isn’t far off.

But the XBB variants have been around awhile for a reason: they’re incredibly contagious. That means that in a time like tourist season they can drive major outbreaks very quickly if they really get going. That’s where we are, and it’s a very dangerous place to be.

Steps to take

We’re on the early side of a rapidly-increasing surge, so strengthening precautions is incredibly important right now. Every one of these you can take, do so.

Wear an N95 mask. Rapid test. — Cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against omicron variants. You need to wear a well-fitting N95-level mask any time you come into close contact with others outside those you live with (or outside of small groups who are taking careful precautions). Preferably double-mask with another mask over an N95. With the current variants being so incredibly infectious this is really important right now.

While tests have become harder to access with the end of the public health emergency, the Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given the recent rapidly increasing rates it’s a really good idea to avoid being maskless indoors around a bunch of strangers whenever you can.

Limit errands — Errands now hold more risk than they did a few weeks ago, so it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until this surge seriously starts to go down. If you do need to go into a store, wear an N95 and make it quick. If you can time it for a less busy time, do.

The local health department still offers free boosters. Local pharmacies, including Walgreen’s, Ingle’s, CVS and West Asheville’s B and B pharmacy, are also offering the omicron booster. Contact them for more details.

Hell, odds are anyone reading this has already faced pressure to stop wearing a mask and taking basic precautions. Don’t.

Sadly this summer’s going to bring more illness, grief and even death. Every action we take, as individuals and groups, to help stop the spread matters. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

COVID WAVE ALERT — July 25, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Unfortunately, we had to delay our covid wave alerts for a week due to a lack of key public health data. Fortunately, the post-July 4 spike proved to be temporary

• For the moment, we’re back where we were: with rates far lower than last summer, but still high enough to keep us in a covid wave. It’s still necessary to keep up the precautions of the last few months, especially wearing an N95 in indoor public spaces

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Readers, last week we were, unfortunately, unable to update our covid wave alerts due to a lack of public health data. Due to the state Department of Health and Human Services only reporting one wastewater reading and a clear misread/outlier the previous one, we didn’t have enough information to make a solid conclusion about where local covid risks were.

Fortunately this week they actually reported their full weekly data, so we can see that there was a brief spike in local covid around July 4 but one that quickly declined without really impacting the overall level of risk in our communities.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

So now we’re back at what’s seemed the resting point during this phase of the pandemic, with rates fortunately far lower than the massive outbreaks we saw last summer but just high enough to remain in a covid wave and indicate that real, substantial spread of the virus is going on in our communities.

Why is this happening? There are several probable reasons. One is that tourism — one of the main drivers of Asheville’s unusually high rates of covid spread and deaths — is blessedly down this year. While the establishment press is groaning over this as a bad thing, on the pandemic front it’s a welcome shift.

The other is some real improvements in measures to contain it. Air filters in public spaces in particular are leaps and bounds from where they were in the first year of the pandemic and while they’re not as widespread as they should be, they still matter.

We’ve also seen a welcome reversal in recent months, with some spaces providing masks or even going back to requiring them for crowded indoor areas.

Combined with Asheville’s relatively high level of people who got the updated bivalent booster, this has helped curb the spread.

There’s also the nature of the most recent round of omicron strains, which are almost all of the XBB variety. While these are all highly contagious and pose very real dangers, they remain fairly predominant, meaning that many people still have some residual immunity in a way they didn’t when entirely new variants (like Delta and Omicron) hit the area.

That said, a covid wave is still a wave and while this one has gone on for well over a year, it’s important not to normalize the very real risks of the situation.

Steps to take

As it’s been for months, the following precautions still remain necessary.

Wear an N95 in public places — This is a good precaution to take regardless of covid level. It’s still essential right now. If you’re running an errand or going to work or end up in any crowded public space you should be wearing an N95-level mask. It offers substantial protection even if no one else is masked and helps keep you and others safe, which is really important as rates are spiking back up due to tourism and a lack of more widespread community protections.

Unfortunately, with the end of the pubic health emergency accessing these tests just got more expensive and difficult. If you have the ability to get some, stockpile them for your friends, neighbors and local mutual aid efforts.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid highly crowded, maskless spaces — While they still carry very real risks, indoor spaces aren’t as dangerous as they were earlier this year. That said, if a place is packed with maskless strangers or tourists it’s probably best to come back later or steer clear. The rates we have still indicate substantial covid spread and some real risks.

On this note, it’s worth still being very careful for any big events in your home. Throwing a birthday party? Plan now for everyone attending to take a rapid test and review covid precautions in advance.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) had this booster was one of the reasons we’ve seen actual declines in covid rates starting this Spring. If you haven’t gotten it yet, do. When the updated booster comes out in two months or so, get that a.s.a.p.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — Uncertain times like this can be especially risky during the pandemic. It is a very good idea to have an honest conversation with those close to you about what precautions need to be taken and what your particular risks are. “What’s your precautions?” needs to join the basic suite of questions when getting to know/getting together with someone. This is especially important as we might be seeing rates shoot up in the near future with summer tourism waves. This can save a lot of grief down the road, and it’s really important for everyone to have a clear idea about what they need to do to keep each other safe.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. The recent end of the public health emergency has both made that worse and even denied us the basic tools — like tests and covid data — to determine what risks we face. A lot of us are, to be blunt, not doing well.

Even as rates have declined many spaces still remain unsafe. Even groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions, though we’re finally seeing some promising shifts in the other direction on this front. So make a point of helping higher-risk people you know out with errands, food and finding safe ways to socialize and keep in touch. With the end of almost all governmental support this is more essential than ever.

Disasters don’t stop being disasters because they go on for a long time. It’s worth remembering we’re still in one.

COVID WAVE ALERT — July 5, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Some welcome news on the local covid front over the past two weeks, as rates have dropped considerably, though July 4 and the height of tourist season could change that

• Rates aren’t quite low enough to take us out of the covid wave yet, so it’s still necessary to keep up basic precautions like wearing an N95 in public and testing regularly

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Over the past two weeks our communities have seen a welcome drop in the spread of covid, at least according to the somewhat limited data we still have left. Nonetheless, there’s enough here to take some solace in this good news.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Virus in wastewater — our main remaining measure of current covid spread — had a solid, steady decline over the past two weeks. Multiple readings showing sharply reduced amount of covid are a good sign that is an actual reduction of the virus’ prevalence in our community instead of a single outlier.

But, with the pandemic there’s almost always a “but,” we’re also heading into the height of tourist season and July 4 was yesterday. Both tend to drive increases in local covid, though we won’t know until our next alert if they’re enough to seriously raise the amount of community risk.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Steps to take

As we always have to say when we have some promisingly low covid rates: we’re not out of the woods yet. We’re still not quite seeing rates low enough to finally end Asheville’s ultra-long covid wave (14 months and counting), so a set of solid precautions remain necessary.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid highly crowded, maskless spaces — While they still carry very real risks, indoor spaces aren’t as dangerous as they were a few months or even a few weeks ago. That said, if a place is packed with maskless strangers or tourists it’s probably best to come back later or steer clear. The rates we have still indicate substantial covid spread and some real risks.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) had this booster was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

The CDC has finally authorized an additional bivalent shot for those over 65 and some higher-risk individuals. They should have authorized it for everyone, but it’s still a step forward. Get your second bivalent shot if you can.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. The recent end of the public health emergency has both made that worse and even denied us the basic tools — like tests and covid data — to determine what risks we face. A lot of us are, to be blunt, not doing well.

Even if we’re finally seeing the end of Asheville’s long covid wave, and it’s not certain we are, the virus is still out there and very real. Every time you wear a mask and take covid seriously it still helps save the lives and health of others.

COVID WAVE ALERT — June 20, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• While the past two weeks saw a spike in local covid spread, it didn’t last long enough to indicate a higher level of overall community risk. Things, for the moment, remain largely where they’ve been for the past few months

• But, as we’ve said plenty before, that’s still not a great place to be, with a substantial amount of covid spread still hitting our communities. Wear an N95 in indoor public spaces, test regularly and avoid particularly dangerous situations

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

As we said during the last alert readers, we’ve had to change our reporting to every other week due to the end of much public health data. It takes about two weeks of virus in wastewater data to determine where our community risk levels are.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

For now that shows that, while there was a spike last week, it quickly came down this week and wasn’t enough to indicate a higher level of overall community risk. Spikes like these can be caused by a handful of superspreader events that, while dangerous, don’t raise the risk to most folks in the wider area. Things do, for the moment, remain mostly where they’ve been for the past few months: substantial covid spread, but not enough to indicate a high or catastrophic risk level.

That doesn’t mean that things are great, of course, this kind of slow grind is a danger in itself and plenty of people get sick or even die from covid during times like these. We wish we had more numbers on that front, readers, but public health agencies have stopped counting the dead.

What we do have, though, shows that our fears throughout this long covid wave are sadly true. More and more people are dying not of the immediate, acute covid infection but of related conditions like heart failure, which repeated covid infections drastically worsen the risk of.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This is, for the time being, where we are, in a kind of limbo as Asheville’s long covid wave doesn’t quite end but thanks to multiple factors — relatively high booster rates, clusters of people that are still taking it seriously — isn’t getting dramatically worse either.

Steps to take

So the point remains what we’ve said for months: covid remains a real threat and there are some necessary, basic precautions that remain key to not getting or spreading it.

Wear an N95 in public places — This remains a good precaution to take regardless of covid level. It’s still essential right now. If you’re running an errand or going to work or end up in any crowded public space you should be wearing an N95-level mask. It offers substantial protection even if no one else is masked and helps keep you and others safe, which is really important as rates are spiking back up due to tourism and a lack of more widespread community protections.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid highly crowded, maskless spaces — While they still carry very real risks, indoor spaces aren’t as dangerous as they were a few months ago. That said, if a place is packed with maskless strangers or tourists it’s probably best to come back later or steer clear. The rates we have still indicate substantial covid spread and some real risks.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) had this booster was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. The recent end of the public health emergency has both made that worse and even denied us the basic tools — like tests and covid data — to determine what risks we face. A lot of us are, to be blunt, not doing well.

Community survival in the face of this pandemic remains now, more than ever, a marathon instead of a race. Every time you take this seriously and support others doing so it matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — June 4, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• The sudden ending of much covid data reporting — an incredibly destructive step for public health — meant the Blade had to take the past few weeks to scramble and figure out how to still accurately assess community risks with what remains. It’s been a challenge

• For the moment risks are still largely where they’ve been for the past few months. Wearing an N95 in public indoor spaces, testing regularly and avoiding particularly dangerous spots remains essential

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Our covid alerts have returned, readers. While we regret the delay of the past few weeks, it’s been necessary to figure out how to deal with what’s been inflicted by state and federal governments, who decided to suddenly stop reporting most covid data in mid-May.

It’s hard to overstate how dangerous, ableist and stunningly cruel this is. It apparently wasn’t enough to push “back to normal” while the virus was still regularly sickening and killing people, shut out higher-risk folks from nearly every area of public life and remove even basic precautions and services. Now we don’t even get to know what we’re up against so we can decide on precautions to take. “Be quiet and die” seems to be the message from the CDC these days.

The remaining data that’s being reported is primarily virus in wastewater and hospitalizations. The latter isn’t particularly useful for determining community risks, because by the time people start getting hospitalized they were probably infected weeks ago.

Virus in wastewater does give a real glimpse at community risk levels, and we’ve used it before in these alerts to help assess where things are. But before we also had test positivity rates to work with. By comparing the two we got a solid idea of what we were facing.

Now there’s just wastewater. While it’s useful in many ways — it includes tourists and is generally the first thing to go up when covid infections are rising — there are some real limitations as well. There are generally only two wastewater readings a week, which leave rates very prone to outliers. One weekend of superspreader tourist events can produce a high reading even if overall community risks aren’t really effected. That’s one reason wastewater worked best in combination with test positivity, which drew on an average of hundreds of readings over two weeks and was less prone to rise and fall on a single reading.

But we don’t have that now, so we’ve had to do what we can. The Blade, thanks to research maven Matilda Bliss, went back through over a year of wastewater data to see where rates were at various highs and lows during this long covid wave. That gave us a general idea of what wastewater readings mean for Substantial, High and Catastrophic risk levels. After some testing this method was still too prone to a single outlier reading throwing things off, so we’re excluding the highest reading from each two weeks’ worth of data.

We’re also going to take two weeks of wastewater readings going in a given direction to raise or lower risks levels, which should make it less prone to spikes based on an outlier. That also means we’ll only do these alerts every other week unless we see something very unusual to report.

Readers, this isn’t where we’d like to be. While we think we’ve done a pretty good job with what we have, this is simply not going to be as accurate as when we had far more data to draw from. We still have a duty to inform communities as best we can, so we’ll keep trying until it’s impossible to do so.

All that said, this is where we are right now.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

The past week saw wastewater readings start to rise ominously, but it’s still too early to tell if it’s the beginning of real increase in risks (especially due to rising tourism) or a smaller spike. As we know more, we’ll report it.

As part of the whole “stop talking about covid push” government sources literally stopped counting the dead. We still get excess deaths — unusually high numbers of deaths from conditions possibly related to covid, and those are troublingly on the rise right now.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

This is where “do nothing ever” gets us. As we said throughout last year’s devastating summer wave, our communities would be facing the consequences of that for years to come. And so we are.

Steps to take

We’re not at a higher risk level yet, but covid does remain a very real threat right now, so it’s still important to keep up a basic suite of precautions:

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle and are a tool that shouldn’t be discarded even if rates eventually drop back down. They’re especially key when grappling with allergies, and it’s a good idea to take them if you’re feeling stuffed up. Knowing the difference between pollen and covid will still be key for a few more weeks.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

On this note, it’s worth still being very careful for any big events in your home. Throwing a birthday party? Plan now for everyone attending to take a rapid test, review covid precautions in advance, etc.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) had this booster was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — Uncertain times like this can be especially risky during the pandemic. It is a very good idea to have an honest conversation with those close to you about what precautions need to be taken and what your particular risks are. “What’s your precautions?” needs to join the basic suite of questions when getting to know/getting together with someone. This is especially important as we might be seeing rates shoot up in the near future. This can save a lot of grief down the road, and it’s really important for everyone to have a clear idea about what they need to do to keep each other safe.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. The end of the public health emergency has both made that worse and even denied us the basic tools — like tests and covid data — to determine what risks we face. A lot of us are, to be blunt, not doing well.

Readers, we’ll continue to alert you until the wave is over or it’s impossible to do so. The more we know, the better we can help keep each other safe.

COVID WAVE ALERT — May 15, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• While we’re seeing some promising signs the local covid wave is waning, those taking the pandemic seriously were dealt a serious blow this past week when state and federal authorities drastically curbed the amount of data they provide to the public

• The information we do have still shows a substantial level of covid spread, so it’s important to continue to wear an N95 in indoor public spaces and to test regularly

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

We have to admit this week is pretty bleak, readers, less so for any specific news in the covid rates — there’s actually some promising signs on that front — but more because federal and state governments have decided to drastically curb back the amount of covid data available to the public.

This means they’ll stop reporting cases, deaths, vaccinations and, importantly, test positivity rates. That last number is one of the key indicators of risk within a community. Cutting it off simply because the government says the covid emergency is over (it’s not, they’re just eager to get “back to normal”) makes it far more difficult for higher-risk folks and others still taking this seriously to even know what odds we’re up against.

From the start, “covid is over” has largely been a top-down phenomenon. As of a few months ago, 40 to 50 percent of respondents in multiple polls indicated they still viewed covid as a serious public health threat. Now officials seem hellbent not just on cutting services but denying communities even the information to get an accurate idea of the risks we face. “Stop talking about it” is the clear message.

As for the Blade‘s part, we’re doing what we can with the remaining data, primarily virus in wastewater, to try to still get some idea of the risks our communities face. We’ll have more on that in the next update. We will continue to do the best we can.

Speaking of virus in wastewater, this week saw it drop substantially, a welcome sign.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

For the first time this spring we’re seeing wastewater rates indicate less spread than last year. Hopefully the trend continues.

Test positivity — unless something changes this is the last week the state will ever report this number — dropped slightly to 5.8 percent from 6 percent last week. Also a welcome sign though not yet quite enough to take us out of this wave.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

We are starting to see the “Arcturus” variant, XBB 1.16 arrive in N.C., which almost certainly means it’s in Asheville. That means we might see another surge in covid, but so far a number of factors — including the relatively high percentage of locals who’ve gotten the bivalent booster — seem to be holding covid numbers down. As always, that could change and it could change quickly.

Steps to take

As it stands, it’s still important to stick the precautions necessary with substantial covid spread still taking place in our communities.

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle and are a tool that shouldn’t be discarded even if rates eventually drop back down. They’re especially essential during seasonal allergies, and it’s a good idea to take them if you’re feeling stuffed up. Knowing the difference between pollen and covid will still be key for a few more weeks.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid highly crowded, maskless spaces — While they still carry very real risks, indoor spaces aren’t as dangerous as they were two months ago. That said, if a place is packed with maskless strangers or tourists it’s probably best to come back later or steer clear. The rates we have still indicate substantial covid spread and some real risks.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

Recently the CDC finally authorized an additional bivalent shot for those over 65 and some higher-risk individuals. They should have authorized it for everyone, but it’s still a step forward. Get your second bivalent shot if you can.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — Uncertain times like this can be especially risky during the pandemic. It is a very good idea to have an honest conversation with those close to you about what precautions need to be taken and what your particular risks are. This is especially important as we might be seeing rates shoot up in the near future. This can save a lot of grief down the road, and it’s really important for everyone to have a clear idea about what they need to do to keep each other safe.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. Now the end of the public health emergency has both made that worse and even denied us the basic tools — like tests and covid data — to determine what risks we face.

The end of the public health emergency is ableism of the worst variety and everyone in our communities has an obligation to fight it. Governments do not care if many of us live or die. We have to.

COVID WAVE ALERT — May 9, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Our apologies readers, due to various life circumstances — all of the Blade co-op work other jobs to make ends meet — this update is a day later than usual. Thank you for your patience — D.F.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• Asheville’s long covid wave continues to grind on, with rates staying stalled at substantial — but not high — rates

• It remains necessary to wear an N95 in indoor public spaces, test regularly and be clear about covid precautions with those closest to you

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

Last week saw a particularly strange local covid situation, with two key rates diverging. This week things settled back down a bit into where they’ve been for over. amonth with substantial but — for now — stalled covid risk levels. Things aren’t, for the moment, getting better. But they’re not getting worse either.

Test positivity stayed basically flat this week, at 6 percent, down slightly from last week’s 6.1 percent.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Virus in wastewater, which had been spiking sharply in recent weeks, started to plateau.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

There is a still a real gap between test positivity and wastewater rates that defies easy explanation, and we continue to look into more public health research to get a better idea of what’s going on.

One possibility is that since wastewater measures include tourists while test positivity is only from the results of covid tests conducted on locals, is that we’re seeing some spikes of covid-riddled tourists but it’s not infecting locals to the degree it did earlier in the wave. There’s a number of possible reasons from this, from some signs more locals are wearing masks in public to the relatively high level of locals who’ve gotten their bivalent boosters (which do offer some real protection against omicron variants). That said, tourism still hasn’t totally ramped up to its seasonal peaks yet.

All this said, we shouldn’t get too comfortable. This week testing showed that the XBB 1.16 variant, known as “Arcturus,” has reached North Carolina, which probably means it’s reached Asheville. This variant is both highly contagious and can re-infect people who’ve gotten the long-dominant Kraken variant.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

We are also starting to see the horrific toll of “back to normal” as excess deaths to a number of conditions related to repeated covid infections and long covid are on the rise across the state.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

As we’ve said for awhile, we will be living with the impacts of this tragedy and the refusal to take it seriously for a long, long time to come.

Steps to take

However it shakes out, we are still stalled in a covid wave for the moment and there are remain very real risks of covid spread here. So it is still important to stick to the following precautions.

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle and are a tool that shouldn’t be discarded even if rates eventually drop back down. They’re especially essential during seasonal allergies, and it’s a good idea to take them if you’re feeling stuffed up. Knowing the difference between pollen and covid will still be key for a few more weeks.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — Uncertain times like this can be especially risky during the pandemic. It is a very good idea to have an honest conversation with those close to you about what precautions need to be taken and what your particular risks are. This is especially important as we might be seeing rates shoot up in the near future. This can save a lot of grief down the road, and it’s really important for everyone to have a clear idea about what they need to do to keep each other safe.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. Even as rates have declined many spaces still remain unsafe. Even groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions, though we’re finally seeing some promising shifts in the other direction on this front. So make a point of helping higher-risk people you know out with errands, food and finding safe ways to socialize and keep in touch. This will only become more important with the upcoming end of the covid emergency.

This week we’re once again in “keep moving even though this is frustrating as hell” territory. We’re not out of the wave yet and until we are we have to face that reality.

COVID WAVE ALERT — May 1, 2023

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• We’re in an unusual situation with covid in Asheville, as one key measure of risk rises sharply while another stays roughly flat

• It’s time to solidify precautions like wearing an N95 in indoor public spaces and testing frequently, as well as preparing for covid risks to potentially get worse as tourism continues to increase

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

We’re in a strange situation in Asheville’s long covid wave. This week virus in wastewater — one key measure of covid spread in our communities — shot up sharply for the second time in three weeks.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Generally with these levels of virus in wastewater we’d expect to see test positivity rates around 10 percent or more. But we’re not. This week test positivity actually went down to 6 percent, from 7.1 last week.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Readers, we honestly don’t yet have a clear idea why these two key rates are so different right now; it’s not something that’s happened during the pandemic before. We’re trying to find more information about why this is taking place, and hopefully we’ll know more in the next week or so.

That said, the overall picture still isn’t very good. Test positivity remains at a level that indicates substantial covid spread and wastewater is getting worse. It’s an ugly, stalled situation to be in and given tourism — a major driver of pandemic illness and deaths — increasing by the day it’s one that could turn a lot worse very quickly. It’s worth remembering last summer saw some of Asheville’s worst covid rates of the entire pandemic.

Steps to take

With rates in an unusual place where risks could potentially increase very quickly, it’s good to put an exclamation point by the precautions that have been necessary for the past month. It’s really important, as much as possible, to stick to the following right now.

Wear an N95 in public places — This remains a good precaution to take regardless of covid level. It’s absolutely essential right now. If you’re running an errand or going to work or end up in any crowded public space you should be wearing an N95-level mask. It offers substantial protection even if no one else is masked and helps keep you and others safe, which is really important as rates are spiking back up due to tourism and a lack of more widespread community protections.

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle and are a tool that shouldn’t be discarded even if rates eventually drop back down. They’re especially essential during seasonal allergies, and it’s a good idea to take them if you’re feeling stuffed up. Knowing the difference between pollen and covid will still be key for a few more weeks.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Avoid highly crowded, maskless spaces — While they still carry very real risks, indoor spaces aren’t as dangerous as they were a month ago. That said, if a place is packed with maskless strangers or tourists it’s probably best to come back later or steer clear. The rates we have still indicate substantial covid spread and some real risks.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

This past week the CDC finally authorized an additional bivalent shot for those over 65 and some higher-risk individuals. They should have authorized it for everyone, but it’s still a step forward. Get your second bivalent shot if you can.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — Uncertain times like this can be especially risky during the pandemic. It is a very good idea to have an honest conversation with those close to you about what precautions need to be taken and what your particular risks are. This is especially important as we might be seeing rates shoot up in the near future. This can save a lot of grief down the road, and it’s really important for everyone to have a clear idea about what they need to do to keep each other safe.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. Even as rates have declined many spaces still remain unsafe. Even groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions, though we’re finally seeing some promising shifts in the other direction on this front. So make a point of helping higher-risk people you know out with errands, food and finding safe ways to socialize and keep in touch. This will only become more important with the upcoming end of the covid emergency.

This week feels analogous to a tornado or flood watch; the pieces for a dramatically worse covid wave are there but they haven’t quite come together yet. Hopefully they won’t. But if they do it’s important to be prepared. Covid is still here and the pandemic is very much not over.

COVID WAVE ALERT — April 24, 2023

For clarity and additional information you can find the previous weeks’ alerts before April 24 here.

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

• While some of last week’s spike has leveled off, local covid rates continue to move up with increasing seasonal tourism. Asheville’s long covid wave just turned a year old, and has done immense damage during that time

• It’s still necessary to stick with key precautions like wearing an N95 in indoor public spaces and testing frequently

This is a COVID wave alert, detailing the current dangers of the pandemic situation in Asheville/Buncombe. It also contains a list of precautions to protect ourselves and the wider community.

This week marked one year since Asheville’s long covid wave began. When we first started this alert last Spring, we figured we’d be doing it for a few months at most before that wave would subside. Sadly that didn’t happen, as rampant tourism and the widespread ditching of precautions pushed this town into a covid wave that will seemingly not end, along with the unusually high deaths and illness that go along with that.

We’re starting a new post because the old one had, grimly, turned one year old. From now on we’ll post covid wave alerts here until it finally ends — which will happen when test positivity rates go below 5 percent and virus in wastewater is consistently low — or until another year goes by. We hope to hell it’s not the latter.

Speaking of virus in wastewater, after rising sharply last week it leveled off. But while it’s not continuing to rise, it also isn’t really going down and still remains at a fairly high level.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Test positivity also rose to 7.1 percent, up from 6.3 last week. Again, not a massive rise but not heading in a good direction.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Overall our local area’s seeing covid risks linger in some pretty dangerous territory, especially with tourism continuing to increase. While substantial covid spread isn’t as horrific as high or catastrophic levels, it’s still not good.

Honestly, until we once again see more widespread community precautions or a drastically new medical intervention (like a nasal vaccine) it’s hard to see the overall situation changing.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

That’s a tragedy, because under the cover of “back to normal” a lot of people got sick and died. During the long wave 165 locals have officially died of covid. That’s certainly an undercount. Asheville/Buncombe has consistently had one of the highest, if not the highest, death rates among all major urban North Carolina counties. The covid risk levels here remain consistently higher than many similar cities throughout the region and country. A year-long wave is, even during this phase of the pandemic, still unusual. We’ll be bearing its costs for a long time to come.

Steps to take

While rates are increasing, they’re not yet enough to show that risks have exponentially increased from where they were before. For now, at least, it’s important to keep up the same precautions as the past few weeks. That said, given the direction things are going, it’s important to be strict about it. If you’ve been doing something particularly risky because the virus has been less prevalent, now’s the time to dial it back.

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle and are a tool that shouldn’t be discarded even if rates eventually drop back down. They’re especially essential during seasonal allergies, and it’s a good idea to take them if you’re feeling stuffed up. Knowing the difference between pollen and covid will still be key for a few more weeks.

The Firestorm cooperative is still offering free rapid tests as well as KN95 and N95 masks to those in need.

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

Get the omicron booster — While not bulletproof (it’s still essential to mask and avoid particularly risky situations), the bivalent/omicron booster reduces the possibility of infection, reduces the likelihood you’ll spread it to others and offers bolstered protections against its worst impacts. It’s continued to hold up pretty well Indeed, the fact a fairly high proportion of the local population (33 percent, far above the state average) was one of the reasons we some actual declines in covid rates earlier in the Spring.

Support higher-risk people — Higher-risk people have faced atrocious treatment during this wave, with “back to normal” meaning the loss of access to spaces and services we used to have. Even as rates have declined many spaces still remain unsafe. Even groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions, though we’re finally seeing some promising shifts in the other direction on this front. So make a point of helping higher-risk people you know out with errands, food and finding safe ways to socialize and keep in touch. This will only become more important with the upcoming end of the covid emergency.

As this wave enters its second year (it hurts to write those words) determination and care remain more important than ever. This is not over, things are not back to “normal” and people in our communities are still dying due to a disease that too many have let run rampant.

Any serious step or precaution taken against this matters, even when it seems like it doesn’t. If you’re taking this seriously, please keep doing so, and please be there for each other.

We keep us safe.

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