RALEIGH, N.C. – As we gear up to get down with family and friends this holiday season, an infectious disease specialist from UNC-Chapel Hill is sharing tips on how to celebrate safely amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.

What You Need To Know

  • COVID-19 cases are increasing across the country, with the latest data showing nearly 23,000 hospitalizations in the week following Thanksgiving, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • North Carolina is seeing an uptick in respiratory illnesses, with a 12% rise in emergency room visits in the past week

  • Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist with UNC-Chapel Hill, recommends everyone get the updated COVID-19 vaccine, while masking up in crowded areas and staying diligent about washing your hands

Almost 23,000 people were in hospital with COVID-19 in the week following Thanksgiving.

That rise coincides with an increase in respiratory illnesses across North Carolina, with 506 people being admitted to the hospital in the last week due to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert from UNC-Chapel Hill, recommends people stay vigilant and get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

“It's a lot like your iPhone, right? Like you get an update once in a while to kind of keep up with the technology. And here we're updating our vaccines to keep up with the variants that are circulating,” Wohl said.

“The good news is we're nowhere near at the case level we've seen in the past. Hospitalizations are nowhere near as severe as they were in the past, earlier in the pandemic,” Wohl said, “So, that's the good news. The bad news is, is the trends are showing us that things are getting a little worse as expected during the winter season.”

For those who have recently had COVID-19 and have not been vaccinated with the new booster, Wohl says it’s less urgent to get the shot right now.

“I will say topping our protection up by getting boosted to me makes a lot of sense, especially if you haven't been infected for a long time, because then the kind of infection you had doesn't look as much like the virus that's circulating now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wohl says he expects the vaccines to get to a point where people can get vaccinated on a yearly basis, like the flu, and potentially have those vaccines combined into one shot.

“I'm a big believer in vaccines. I think they help us a lot, and I think they're extremely, extremely safe,” Wohl said.

If you’re planning on traveling or being in a crowded area, Wohl recommends wearing masks and keeping your hands clean.

“Most of us get infected with other things besides COVID, like the stomach virus that's going around right now or flu from our hands, more so than people breathing on us in some cases,” he said. “So, keeping your hands clean and keeping the Purell close by, masking, especially if you're vulnerable to really severe disease from respiratory illnesses, then I think that makes sense.”