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

Graphic by Matilda Bliss

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COVID WAVE ALERT — September 10, 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

• Covid rates in Asheville have finally declined — a bit — but overall remain stalled at incredibly high levels. While updated vaccines do offer some help, their distribution also has — thanks to federal and local governments — far too many limitations. With school now back in session and leaf season on the way, odds are the situation here will stay really bad for awhile longer

• Get the updated vaccine ASAP. Stay home when you can. Wear an N95 in public, take additional protective steps, cut down on unnecessary exposure and test frequently

Readers, the good news is that Asheville’s skyrocketing covid rates have finally declined a bit, and that we now have updated vaccines that provide far better protection against the variants we’re facing. The bad news is that rates remain incredibly high and that the vaccines, thanks to federal and local governments simply not caring about fighting the pandemic, aren’t easily accessible to those who need them most.

Virus in wastewater rates finally declined after skyrocketing since early July. But they’re still at catastrophic rates, meaning covid continues to run rampant throughout our communities.

Notably even these levels — after a notable decline – are as high as some of the worst rates from last summer’s covid spike.

One might hope that the updated vaccines — which offer increased protection against the FLiRT variants currently wreaking this havoc — might help curb this. But as we’ll get to in our next section, access to those is a lot more limited than it should be, and the most vulnerable are either shut out from access or forced to pay an exorbitant rate.

On top of that there’s school and tourism, both major drivers of covid spikes. School is now fully back in session and leaf season is rapidly approaching, so odds are risks will remain catastrophic here for another month, if not more. It will be amazing news if that changes, but as it stands now it doesn’t look likely.

Steps to take

Given how prevalent covid still is within our communities, strict precautions remain necessary to reduce the likelihood of it spreading to yourself or others. As always, you may find yourself in situations where sticking to these is sadly not an option. But as many of them as you can follow, the better.

GET THE UPDATED VACCINE — This is a big one y’all. The newly updated vaccines are out, and they’re tailored against one of the FLiRT variants. That means they offer far better protection against that whole evil family of viral threats.

So get one as soon as you possibly can. Most pharmacies are offering them and so is the Buncombe County Health Department. You can call 828-250-5096 to set up an appointment with them. You can also try their walk-in hours, which are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

But sadly, this comes with a major exception. Covid vaccines are no longer offered free of charge to those without insurance. The federal government failed to renew the Bridge Program, which expired at the end of August. While the end of this program was known for months, local governments also don’t care about the spread of covid. Buncombe County commissioners and the county manager oversee a $440 million annual budget and easily could have covered the cost of vaccinations for the uninsured. But they didn’t bother to. Feel free to yell at them here or elsewhere if you like.

According to the health department, they hope to offer covid vaccines for the uninsured by Oct. 1. In the meantime this is incredibly bad news not just for those individuals who need better protection, but for all our communities. Those without insurance are often particularly vulnerable to covid.

STAY THE HELL HOME — Now’s the time to minimize trips out and social events whenever you can. Especially to indoor public spaces.

At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But, when possible, avoid unnecessary outings to 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 this bad it’s not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Move social gatherings outdoors, and stay masked when you’re in close proximity to anyone whose covid status you’re not very sure of.

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 once again 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, try to avoid close, indoor contact for the time being.

WEAR AN N95. RAPID TEST. USE MITIGATIONS. — 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 also 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 some time to 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.

Sadly the far-right state legislature recently passed a law restricting mask wearing, though we haven’t seen it enforced in Asheville yet. It does have an exception for health, though a badly-written one. Keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

One of the few advantages we have over facing previous spikes is that there are more ways to mitigate covid risk than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce potential spread. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride). ACT Total Care mouthwash is a commonly available brand that has CPC.

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 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 remain incredibly dangerous.

The pandemic simply isn’t over, no matter how much one might wish it and no matter how many others might pretend it is. 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 failure across multiple communities 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 needed now more than ever. 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 to the present 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 in their own communities.

So 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, especially when rates are this high.

On a positive note, while there’s no easy way to measure it, we continue to see more locals wearing masks and taking covid seriously again. While far more is obviously needed, that is a welcome shift in the right direction. Everyone who is doing that is already making a very real difference.

So keep doing that, and get the updated shot as soon as you can. The more people do, the shorter this awful covid spike will be.

COVID WAVE ALERT — August 20, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• Covid rates in Asheville continue to rise rapidly, at record-breaking levels for this time of year. As this is part of a nationwide surge and tourism is in full swing, it will probably be awhile before they come back down

• We are in “stay the hell home when you can” territory. Wear an N95 in public, take additional protective steps, cut down on unnecessary exposure and test frequently

Over the past two weeks the covid situation in Asheville has gone from “very bad” to “even worse” as local rates continue to skyrocket. At this point we’re on track for the worst summer spike on record.

Virus in wastewater — the best indicator of covid spread we still have — continues to rise sharply, well into territory that matches up with the worst outbreaks of the disease we’ve seen.

This rise is rapid and, for the time being, shows no signs of slowing, especially in the absence of any widespread public health precautions. It’s part of a nationwide spike driven by the FLiRT variants that are currently running rampant around the country.

Compared to previous summer waves this one is already, clearly, worse. A lot worse.

Given that tourism season is already in full swing, covid risks locally will probably be really, really bad for awhile to come.

The main relief on the horizon is the annual updated vaccines, which are tailored to one of the FLiRT variants and set to roll out over the coming weeks when the FDA finally approves them. Those should offer better protection than we currently have. But we’re not there yet.

Steps to take

What we said last week is even more important now: whatever your strictest covid protocols look like, take them. Below we have, as always, a list of necessary precautions, based on the risks we’re facing.

Given that governments don’t care what happens to us, that the business sector is only focused on profits and too many ignore covid, you may find yourself in situations where you can’t stick to one of these. But every one you can use seriously reduces your risk of getting covid and spreading it to others.

STAY THE HELL HOME — Now’s the time to minimize trips out and social events whenever you can. Especially to indoor public spaces.

At some points this will not be possible due to work, emergencies or other situations when you have no choice. But, when possible, avoid unnecessary outings to 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 this bad it’s not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Move social gatherings outdoors, and stay masked when you’re in close proximity to anyone whose covid status you’re not very sure of.

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 once again 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, try to avoid close, indoor contact for the time being.

WEAR AN N95. RAPID TEST. USE MITIGATIONS. — 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 also 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 some time to 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.

Sadly the far-right state legislature recently passed a law restricting mask wearing, though we haven’t seen it enforced in Asheville yet. It does have an exception for health, though a badly-written one. Keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

One of the few advantages we have over facing previous spikes is that there are more ways to mitigate covid risk than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce potential spread. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride). ACT Total Care mouthwash is a commonly available brand that has CPC.

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 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 and no matter how many others might pretend it is. 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 change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is needed now more than ever. 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 to the present 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 in their own communities.

So 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.

On a positive note, while there’s no easy way to measure it, we are seeing more locals wearing masks and taking covid seriously again. While far more is obviously needed, that is a welcome shift in the right direction. Everyone who is doing that is already making a very real difference. Especially if you can avoid getting covid for the next two weeks, until the updated shots are likely to be available, that is incredibly beneficial.

Odds are the situation in Asheville will get worse before it gets better. The best protection we have is facing this truth and helping each other to get through it.

COVID WAVE ALERT — August 6, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• The brutal summer covid spike that’s loomed for a month is now fully here, with Asheville back to the kind of covid risk levels we usually see in winter. The virus is running rampant.

• It’s time to take strict precautions to reduce the spread of covid. Stay home when you can. Wear an N95-level mask in any public situation and take additional protective steps. Test regularly, especially before meeting anyone outside of your household or pod.

For over a month the threat of a serious summer covid spike in Asheville has loomed, especially as the highly-contagious FLiRT variants spurred surges across the country. Summer tourism, as always, makes this city particularly vulnerable.

Now it’s here. The “do nothing about covid and pretend it isn’t getting worse” approach to public health has, shockingly, completely failed to contain it.

The result is that our communities are, once again, in a full blown emergency. Covid is absolutely running rampant, and odds are it will get worse before it gets better.

The latest virus in wastewater rates show this in a single, stark image.

While it’s far from unheard of for Asheville to have summer covid spikes — one effect of “tourism at all costs” — this one is particularly bad to those we’ve seen the past two years.

Don’t put too much hope in the last two readings showing rates flattening a bit. Such back-and-forth is pretty common with virus in wastewater data. Given that this is part of a larger national covid spike odds are we’ll see the covid situation here continue to worsen for awhile.

Readers, we feel a particularly bleak sense of deja vu writing updates like these. But this is the inevitable result of a city pretending that a hard reality doesn’t exist. Covid does not care about tourism profits. It does not care if you’ve “moved on” or are not wearing a mask indoors “for your mental health.” It’s a virus. It will spread, ruthlessly, wherever it can.

Until we either have a medical breakthrough or more communities in Asheville seriously shift their priorities, we’ll keep ending up back here. There are ugly, human costs every time we do.

Steps to take

Whatever your strict covid protocols look like, now’s the time to take them. Below we have, as always, a list of precautions necessary to take, based on the risks we’re facing.

Given that governments don’t care what happens to us, that the business sector just cares about profits and too many ignore covid, you may find yourself in situations where you can’t stick to one of these. But every one you can seriously reduces both your risk of getting covid and spreading it to others.

STAY HOME — Now’s the time to minimize trips out and social events. Especially to indoor public spaces.

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 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 this bad it’s not the time to go dining or out for some drinks with friends. Unless you can stay mostly masked, outdoors, it’s still a good general rule to put social events with friends off for at least a few weeks.

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 once again 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, try to avoid close, indoor contact for the time being.

WEAR AN N95. RAPID TEST. USE MITIGATIONS. — 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 some time to 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.

Sadly the far-right state legislature recently passed a law restricting mask wearing, though we haven’t seen it enforced in Asheville yet. It does make an exception for health, though it’s a badly written one. Keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

One of the few more advantages we have over facing previous spikes is that there are more ways to mitigate covid risk than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce potential spread. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride). ACT Total Care mouthwash is a commonly available brand that has CPC.

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 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 change that. Nice doesn’t save lives.

SUPPORT EACH OTHER — Mutual aid, in many forms, is needed now more than ever. 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 to the present 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 in their own communities.

So 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.

When the covid situation gets this bad, it’s necessary to emphasize the very real risks and the hard realities of the situation we face. But e’ve also received an outpouring of thanks for these updates. Everyone taking this seriously — whether you’ve always done so or have once again realized how bad covid still is — matters. We don’t believe in sugar-coating the truth. We also don’t believe in despair. Thank you, and let’s keep fighting.

COVID WAVE ALERT — July 16, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• Asheville’s covid rates are rapidly spiking as the FLiRT variants hit our communities and send risks upwards. It’s likely to get worse before it gets better

• Stricter precautions are now necessary to curb the spread of the virus in our communities. Wear an N95 in indoor spaces and crowded outdoor ones. Avoid crowded, maskless indoor gatherings. Test regularly and communicate about your risks with those close to you. Use mitigations like air purifiers and nasal sprays to further reduce risks, especially in shared spaces

Readers, we regret the delay between this alert and the last one. Between holiday breaks and simply not reporting key public health data for a week, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services didn’t give us updated wastewater numbers for most of the month.

But we finally have those numbers and what they show should have the alarm bells ringing across our communities. We’re seeing serious, sharp increases in local covid rates and the risks of catching the virus (or spreading it to others) are significantly up from where they’ve been since mid-April.

This wasn’t unforeseen. For over a month the FLiRT variants (yes that is actually their name) have sent covid rates spiking across the country. They’re highly contagious and different enough that they can disregard lingering resistance from infection with the JN.1 variants that hit our area hard this winter. As we’ve said for some time, there was no way they were going to leave Asheville unscathed.

Summer tourism and a near-complete lack of public health precautions make things even worse, of course. It’s likely that we’ll see worse rates before they go back down again. Because the rates are rising this quickly and consistently we’re raising the risk level to High.

Steps to take

Bluntly you’re a lot more likely go catch and spread covid in the Asheville area than you were a few weeks ago. That means that taking stricter precautions is necessary to reduce those risks. If you can’t do all of these, do as many as you can. They all help.

Wear an N95 mask. Test and use mitigations — Like the variants running rampant this winter, cloth and surgical masks don’t do much against the variants currently circulating. 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 there 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.

Sadly the far-right state legislature recently passed a law restricting mask wearing, it does make an exception for health, though it’s a badly written one. Keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

There are, fortunately, more ways to mitigate covid available than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce the spread of covid. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride).

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle. Especially with rates increasing, they’re essential during uncertain periods like this.

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 very good idea.

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given where rates are it’s still 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 important right now.

Limit errands — We’re once again seeing levels of covid spread that mean a simple errand can get one infected. So it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery. 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.

Stay vigilant and communicate — Transitional times like this are tricky during a pandemic, as we adjust to a quickly changing situation.

Odds are you will face pressure to ignore the obvious, from the information we share above to those you now getting sick. You will hear that “no one” is wearing a mask and taking basic precautions anymore. Don’t believe that. If the past few years have given our city anything, it’s the hard lesson that ignoring things does not make them go away.

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.

Once again we’re seeing a summer that will bring more illness, disability and, yes, death. It does not have to be this way, and every step we take – individually or together — matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — June 18, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• While Asheville’s covid rates aren’t declining anymore, they’re not going up either. However, new variants and major surges elsewhere in the country offer some ominous signs of what the coming weeks and months could look like

• While Asheville itself isn’t facing increased risks yet, if a spike is on the way it’s a good idea to prioritize major errands and appointments while rates are relatively low. Continue to wear an N95 in indoor public spaces, avoid packed indoor areas with little or no masking and use mitigations like air purifiers and nasal sprays

For the time being Asheville’s covid rates appear fairly stuck. While they’re not declining any more (which would possibly take us out of the two-year-long local covid wave) they’re also not rising.

The latest virus in wastewater readings show this pretty clearly

But this isn’t a usual “we’re still in a covid wave but it’s not getting worse” alert. Because Asheville doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Covid surges elsewhere eventually reach here too, and right now we’re seeing some pretty serious ones elsewhere in country.

Especially in the western U.S. the so-called FLiRT variants (readers we wish we were making that up) are hitting really hard. San Francisco currently has its highest virus in wastewater levels of the entire pandemic. These variants bypass much immunity from previous infections, so with few public health precautions they’re spreading rapidly.

While North Carolina’s variant monitoring leaves a lot to be desired, there’s some signs they’re here. Recently, “Other” variants, almost certainly the FLiRT ones, have started to spread rapidly in this state.

Given Asheville’s status as a tourist destination, and the fact tourism spreads covid rapidly, that means it’s likely we’ll see covid here worsen over the coming weeks.

Steps to take

For the time being, local covid risks remain where they’ve been for the past few weeks. But that could change pretty rapidly. So it’s worth being tight about the following precautions. It’s also worth prioritizing getting potentially risky but necessary appointments and errands out of the way now, before things worsen.

Wear an N95 in public places and use mitigations — These are generally good precautions to take regardless of covid level. They’re really important right now. If you’re running an errand, 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.

Sadly there’s recently been a push in the far-right state legislature to ban this incredibly necessary public health step. Its final fate remains uncertain, but while it has far too many restrictions, it does make exceptions for health and its likely to face a bevy of lawsuits. Keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

There are, fortunately, more ways to mitigate covid available than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce the spread of covid. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space and we’d all be far safer.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride).

Likewise, rapid tests remain a really good precaution for close get-togethers with those outside your immediate household or circle. Especially with rates probably increasing soon, they’re essential during uncertain periods like this.

If you have the resources to get some extra tests or nasal sprays, stockpile them for your friends, neighbors and local mutual aid efforts. Consider working with others to get things like air purifiers as well.

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, especially with the FLiRT variants probably already here.

On this note, it’s still worth 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 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 combined with other measures like masks and testing, but it remains a very important line of defense. So far it’s proven pretty resilient, and early signs seem to show it still holds up fairly well agains the FLiRT variants. While this year’s updated shot is on the way in August or September if you haven’t gotten the one that debuted last year it’s still a good idea to do so. One of the reasons the newer variants are doing so much damage is that too few did.

Fortunately, the news about updated shots keeps getting better. A recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine finds that getting updated covid shots and boosters offers significantly heightened protection even from variants the shots weren’t specifically designed to protect from.

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.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — 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, especially with a potential spike on the way. “What’s your precautions?” needs to join the basic suite of questions when getting to know/getting together with someone.  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. This has not improved. The continuing end of even minimal public health protections has both made that worse and made it far harder to access 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 some groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions. 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.

Summer spikes can be particularly vicious, especially as they come in a season when too many aren’t thinking about the risk of illness. So now is an excellent time to prepare for that possibility. It matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — June 4, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• A brief, promising decline that nearly took Asheville out of a covid wave for the first time in two years has now stalled. With tourism escalating rates have ticked back up

• Precautions remain important. Wear an N95-level mask in indoor public spaces, avoid packed indoor areas with little to no masking, use mitigations like air purifiers and nasal sprays and review covid risks with those closest to you

The past two weeks saw a very promising decline in Asheville’s covid rates continue — and then halt. While it’s still a little too early to see how things will shake out — sometimes unexpectedly good things do happen even in pandemics — for the time being we still remain in a covid wave. With tourism escalating and new variants hitting our area rates are more likely to go up rather than down.

Virus in wastewater rates clearly show the decline stall out.

Yes, that also means that a few recent readings showed rates, unusually, below those that indicate a covid wave. However, because individual wastewater readings can vary widely, we wait until readings over two weeks consistently show lower (or higher) risks before changing the current level.

If rates had consistently stayed that low it would have, for the first time in over two years, Asheville wouldn’t have been in a covid wave. But they went back up, so here we are. While rates and risks remain below where they’ve been in recent months, the information we have indicates that there are still a substantial number of infections in our communities.

That’s honestly not surprising, sadly. While there are people and groups still taking this seriously, there are very few community-level protections against covid. Combine that with us moving into the height of tourism season and facing the newer (and terribly-named) FLiRT variants and odds are we’re going to be here for awhile to come.

Steps to take

Many of us are still transitioning from the historically high rates we saw over the winter and spring. While a wider range of activities can now be done with relatively little risk, covid is still a very real danger in our communities. Plenty of infections are still happening in Asheville, today. Reduced risk doesn’t mean no risk. Here’s precautions that are still important to take.

Wear an N95 in public places and use mitigations — These are generally good precautions to take regardless of covid level. They’re 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.

Sadly there’s recently been a push in the far-right state legislature to ban this incredibly necessary public health step. While its final fate remains uncertain, and it’s certainly likely to face a bevy of lawsuits if goes into effect, keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

There are, fortunately, more ways to mitigate covid available than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically over the past few years. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce the spread of covid. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space and we’d all be far safer.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride).

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 when rates are lower.

If you have the resources to get some extra tests or nasal sprays, stockpile them for your friends, neighbors and local mutual aid efforts. Consider working with others to get things like air purifiers as well.

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 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 combined with other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with plenty of covid still circulating. So far it’s proven pretty resilient even in the face of newer variants. 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.

Fortunately, the news about this latest round of updated shots keeps getting better. A recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine finds that getting updated covid shots and boosters offers significantly heightened protection even from variants the shots weren’t specifically designed to protect from.

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.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — 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 as summer tourism increases.  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. This has not improved. The continuing end of even minimal public health protections has both made that worse and made it far harder to access 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 some groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions. 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.

At this point, readers, we’re as frustrated as y’all are. Every year it seems like Asheville has a brief window of reduced risks — where it even looks like the long wave may finally end — before tourism, capitalism and a lack of community care bring the virus roaring back. It does not have to be this way, but that’s where we are and that’s the reality we have to fight.

COVID WAVE ALERT — May 21, 2024

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• Covid rates in the Asheville area have, fortunately, continued to drop. While we’re not out of this long wave yet, we’re at the lowest rates we’ve seen since last July

• But we are still in a covid wave. So wear an N95-level mask in indoor public spaces, avoid packed indoor areas with little to no masking, use mitigations like air purifiers and nasal sprays and discuss covid risks with those closest to you

Readers, this update brings — overall — good news. Since our last updated alert covid rates in the Asheville area have continued to steadily decline, bringing risks down with them.

So the risk level has now dropped from High down to Substantial. According to virus in wastewater rates — the primary measure of local covid spread left — levels here are at their lowest since last July.

This is really good news and brings some very welcome relief from the sky-high levels of covid spread we saw over the winter and even into the early spring. This means that you’re significantly less likely to get and transmit covid than you were then. That means that activities that carried a fair amount of risk this winter can now be done with far more safety.

However, we’re back where we seem to end up most years: with rates still barely into Substantial territory but not dropping much below that. So Asheville is still in a covid wave, as we’ve been since May 2022.

The fact that situation has gone on a long time shouldn’t normalize it, because it still means there’s plenty of covid out there. Sadly, unless we see far more communities take precautions, or we get extraordinarily lucky, we’ll likely stay there for awhile.

Steps to take

Transitional times like this can be tricky, as there’s a wider range of activities that can be done with relatively little risk, but covid is still a very real danger in our communities. Reduced risk doesn’t mean no risk. Here’s precautions that are still important to take.

Wear an N95 in public places and use mitigations — These are good precautions 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.

Sadly there’s recently been a push in the far-right state legislature to ban this incredibly necessary public health step. While its passage remains uncertain, and it’s certainly likely to face a bevy of lawsuits if goes into effect, keep wearing a mask regardless. Our community safety is more important than any unjust law.

There are, fortunately, more ways to mitigate covid available than ever before. Air purifiers have improved dramatically during the pandemic. Setting them up indoors — or having a travel purifier — can substantially reduce the spread of covid. If this city took the pandemic more seriously, you’d see them in just about every social space and we’d all be in a far safer situation.

Anti-covid nasal sprays, especially covixyl, can also offer another line of protection. So can rinsing, after potential exposure, with a mouthwash containing CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride).

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 when rates are lower.

If you have the ability to get some test or nasal sprays, stockpile them for your friends, neighbors and local mutual aid efforts. Consider combining resources to get things like air purifiers as well.

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 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 combined with other measures like masks and testing, but it is a very important line of defense, especially with plenty of covid still circulating. It’s continued to prove pretty resilient even in the face of newer variants. 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.

Fortunately, the news about this latest round of updated shots keeps getting better. A recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine finds that getting updated covid shots and boosters offers significantly heightened protection even from variants the shots weren’t specifically designed to protect from.

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.

Review covid boundaries and precautions with those close to you — 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. This has not improved. The continuing end of even minimal public health protections 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 some groups in Asheville ostensibly dedicated to social justice have largely dropped all covid precautions. 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.

“We keep us safe” remains, as it has since the start of the pandemic, the only way out of this. So enjoy that risks are lower, and remember that covid is still very much with us. Every step you take on this front still matters.

COVID WAVE ALERT — April 30, 2024

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

Blade reporter Matilda Bliss contributed to this alert

• Our community is now into its third year in a seemingly non-stop covid wave. But recent weeks do show some promising declines

• While things are improving, it’s still important to keep up some solid precautions. Wear an N95 in indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor ones. Avoid particularly risky settings. Get the updated shot, limit errands and test frequently

Well readers, our city just hit a grim milestone. As of this week we enter our third year in a constant covid wave, meaning that the spread of the virus in the Asheville area — as indicated by the best public health data we still have — is at least substantial levels in our community. Behind these numbers lie the tragedy of sickened and dead members of our community.

It did not have to be this way. It still doesn’t.

So we hope that these alerts provide useful information and precautions that allow people a clearer idea of what they’re still up against and what they can do about it. The truth is that the pandemic simply isn’t over, and facing the truth is always a better way than the alternative.

It’s not all bad news, however. For two weeks earlier this month we only got one virus in wastewater reading instead of the usual two. This left us with far less information and made it more difficult to determine the current risk level. Fortunately the past two weeks saw regular reporting resume. It’s now clear that covid rates are truly dropping.

While one of the readings is below the High risk level, for the time being we’re not lowering it. When assessing virus in wastewater it’s important to have repeated, solid readings at a given risk level before raising or lowering it. Hopefully by the next update we’ll have some even better news and confirm there’s truly less covid circulating in our communities.

This winter’s wave lasted the longest — and saw some of the highest rates — of anything our area has ever faced. But finally we’re seeing things align with previous declines around this time of year.

That’s also promising. Hopefully these declines will continue, though as tourism increases in a city with very few covid precautions the risks of increased infection rise.

Steps to take

As it stands we’re still seeing plenty of covid circulating in our communities. While it’s no longer necessary to take the stricter precautions that were needed over this winter, 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 there 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 very good idea.

Avoid crowded indoor events, dining and drinking — The fact this isn’t particularly popular doesn’t mean it’s not necessary. Given where rates are it’s still 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 important right now.

Limit errands — Errands hold less risk than they did a month ago, but it’s worth keeping what you can to curbside pick-up or delivery until we see more evidence that covid spread has truly waned. 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 combined with 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’s still 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 we’re seeing some promising news on the covid front, 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.

As we enter our third year of this covid wave it’s important not to give in to despair either. You are not alone in wanting to avoid a potentially devastating virus. While the lack of community care and the “back to normal” push have done real damage here, the toll would be far worse without the many locals still taking this seriously.

Thank you all. It matters.

—

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