HOUSTON – COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.
The City of Houston said the virus traced in the wastewater is going up, and the positivity rate is going up which are all indicators that the virus is spreading.
However, the major indicator that people are getting severe sicknesses is not on the rise; hospitalizations.
“What we are not seeing is a big increase in the number of people requiring hospitalization, or at least not yet. So that’s good news!” said Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston Dr. David Persse.
Right now, there are 371 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across 25 counties in southeast Texas. Plus, 34 children.
That number is significantly lower than at the beginning of the year and is nowhere near the thousands who were hospitalized during peaks of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We just hope that those people who are most vulnerable are the ones who are doing the best job at protecting themselves so they don’t wind up in the hospital,” Persse said.
Persse still recommends getting vaccinated and said the booster is key to defending against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
Children under five, the last group eligible for a vaccine, may have an approved vaccine later this month.
The FDA has scheduled to review Moderna’s application for emergency use on June 15.
