COVID-19 cases could rise in Houston

HOUSTON – Heat waves may not be the only type of heatwave Houstonians will have to deal with in the coming weeks, as experts with the Houston Department of Health have predicted a potential “Covid surge” as cases have slowly increased over the past five weeks.

Earlier this week, KPRC 2 spoke with Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the Houston Health Department, who said he and his colleagues have seen an increase in cases lately.

“We have seen an increase in the amount of Covid that we detect in wastewater,” Persse said. “We’ve also seen more cases in doctor’s offices, but fortunately we haven’t had too many cases requiring patients to be hospitalized.”

To track potential spread, the Houston Health Department tested wastewater from 40 different water treatment plants for traces of the virus.

They noted a slight increase in viral load over the past five weeks. As of June 17, the team found that viral saturation had reached 273%.

While this number may seem high, it is still well below what it was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, for example, saturation levels reached over 1,500%. However, experts say these increases are predictable given what they know about the behavior of the virus.

“COVID-19 is behaving differently than other respiratory diseases,” said Porfiro Villareal, a public information officer with the Houston Health Department. “We’re seeing different spikes, and because it’s a new virus, it’s behaving differently than what we would typically expect.”

For example, Villareal noted that most respiratory illnesses spread during colder seasons, but COVID-19 has been shown to spread just as well during warmer months, which could contribute to a “summer surge” of new cases.

However, he doesn’t think it should be a major cause for concern. While COVID-19 has exhibited unique behavior and requires further study, Villareal said it’s not much different from how scientists adapt to new strains of influenza each year.

Much like the flu, COVID-19 will likely continue to mutate, but according to Villareal, that doesn’t necessarily mean the situation will spiral out of control. Instead, he said it was more likely that scientists would continue to create new booster vaccines to deal with future mutations.

In the meantime, he encouraged people not to panic, but to take sensible health precautions, such as wearing a mask in crowded spaces and taking special measures to protect populations who may be immunocompromised.

But above all, Villareal had a simple piece of advice for anyone worried about getting sick:

“Now more than ever, is the time to make sure you have received your COVID-19 vaccine,” Villareal said. “Viruses are unpredictable, but the vaccine is safe, effective and the best thing you can do for your health, especially if you have loved ones who might be vulnerable. »