Aug 14, 2023 - COVID

COVID-19 cases increasing in Texas

COVID-19 cases are ticking up in Texas — though the overall number of cases remains well below what it was at the height of the pandemic.

Driving the news: EG.5, a descendant of Omicron, was named a variant of concern by the World Health Organization last week.

The new strain was responsible for an estimated 17.3% of COVID-19 cases nationwide from mid-July through Aug. 5, up from 7.5% through the first week of July, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zoom in: Coronavirus cases reported in Texas increased nearly 24% in the week that ended Aug. 5, up from the previous week.

11,826 new cases were reported statewide in the week that ended Aug. 5.
In Dallas County, there were 626 new cases reported last week, compared with 494 the week before. And there were 938 new cases reported in Tarrant County last week.

Yes, but: The federal public health emergency declaration for COVID-19 ended in May.

At that time, an Axios-Ipsos poll found that 62% of respondents agreed that the pandemic is over, compared to 46% when we asked the question in February.

What's next: The Food and Drug Administration recommended that boosters target new Omicron strains ahead of the fall.

Some medical experts suggest waiting for the new formulations before getting boosted again.

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