If it feels like COVID-19 is everywhere again, you’re not imagining it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 cases are rising nationwide, and Texas is among the states with the most cases.
“As kids go back to school, we’re going to have to be very careful because COVID-19 will begin to spread,” said Steven Love, president and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council.
The CDC estimated infections are growing in 24 states, including Texas, which has a positivity rate of 11.8% compared to the national average of 8.9%.
The CDC said emergency visits for COVID are also up among people of all ages, with a noticeable increase in children under 12, though it said the percentage remains low.
Wastewater viral activity for COVID nationally remains low, according to the CDC, but in Texas, it’s “very high.”
“I don’t want people to panic. It’s not the pandemic,” said Love. “COVID-19 is going to be endemic. It’s going to come back and we’re going to see it from now on.”
Love said the current wave is fueled by summer travel, lower Texas vaccination rates, and the newer Stratus variant.
“I think with Stratus, since it’s a variant and has mutated from the original, that it’s going to be much more contagious,” said Love.
Symptoms include sore throat, cough, fever and headache.
The CDC said handwashing, wearing a mask, and avoiding contact with an infected person are all ways to prevent the spread of the virus.
