HOUSTON – Warmth waves may not be the one type of wave Houstonians need to cope with within the subsequent few weeks, as consultants from the Houston Well being Division have predicted a possible “Covid Wave” as instances have been slowly growing over the previous 5 weeks.
Earlier this week, KPRC 2 spoke to Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer on the Houston Well being Division, who mentioned that him and his colleagues had been seeing a rise in instances recently.
“We’ve been seeing a rise within the quantity of Covid that we’re detecting within the waste water,” Persse mentioned. “We’ve additionally been seeing extra instances in physician’s places of work, however luckily we haven’t had too many instances which have required sufferers to be admitted to the hospital.”
To trace potential unfold, the Houston Well being division examined waste water from 40 totally different water remedy crops for traces of the virus.
They famous small will increase in viral load over the previous 5 weeks. As of June 17, the workforce discovered that viral saturation had reached 273%.
Whereas this quantity may sound excessive, it’s nonetheless a lot decrease than it was throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July of 2020, for instance, they mentioned that saturation ranges reached over 1500%. Nonetheless, consultants say that these will increase are to be anticipated given what they find out about how the virus behaves.
“COVID-19 reveals totally different habits from different respiratory sicknesses,” mentioned Porfiro Villareal, a public info officer employed by the Houston Well being Division. “We see totally different spikes, and since it’s a brand new virus it behaves otherwise from what we would sometimes count on.”
For instance, Villareal famous that almost all respiratory sicknesses unfold throughout colder seasons, however that COVID-19 has confirmed to unfold properly throughout heat months as properly, which might contribute to a “summer time wave” of latest instances.
Nonetheless, he doesn’t suppose this ought to be a trigger for critical concern. Whereas COVID-19 has exhibited some distinctive habits and requires additional examine, Villareal mentioned that it’s not too totally different to how scientists adapt to new flu strains every year.
Very similar to the flu, COVID-19 is prone to proceed mutating, however Villareal mentioned that this doesn’t essentially imply it’s going to spiral uncontrolled. As an alternative, he mentioned it was extra doubtless that scientists would proceed to create new Covid boosters to handle future mutations.
Within the meantime, he inspired individuals to not panic, however to take affordable well being precautions similar to masking when in crowded areas and taking particular measures to guard populations that could be immunocompromised.
However above all the things else, Villareal had one easy piece of recommendation for anybody frightened about doubtlessly getting sick:
“Now greater than ever, it’s time to be sure to’re caught up in your COVID-19 vaccinations,” Villareal mentioned. “Viruses are unpredictable, however the vaccine is protected, efficient, and the most effective factor you are able to do in your well being, particularly when you have any family members in your life that could be susceptible.”
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
