Texas, majority of U.S. reporting spiked COVID-19 levels this summer

Editor’s Note: The above video shows KXAN News’ top morning headlines from Thursday, July 25, 2024.

TEXAS (KXAN) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Wastewater Surveillance System is detecting high concentrations of COVID-19 nationally -- including here in Texas.

The CDC program monitors wastewater systems for COVID-19 viral activity to get a better understanding of how much viral load is in a given community. Nationwide, only one state -- New York -- is reporting low viral activity, with the rest ranging from moderate to very high levels. North Dakota is the sole state not reporting any day due to a lack of testing sites.

Here in Texas, the Lone Star State is reporting "very high" viral activity levels, based on reporting from 19 wastewater detection sites.

The Texas Department of State Health Services receives COVID-19 case counts and associated rates on a "voluntary basis," with individual confirmed and probable case reporting no longer a state mandate as of early March.

Based on voluntary figures, Texas' current respiratory virus surveillance report released July 19 found COVID-19 cases increased in Texas by nearly 32% July 7-13 compared to the previous week's levels. In the year to date, Texas has detected more than 238,000 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, based on voluntary reporting.

COVID-19 'seasonality'

This increase in viral load is on par with previous COVID-19 seasonality trends monitored by the CDC. While there isn't a distinct COVID-19 season like there is for the flu and other respiratory conditions, historic CDC reporting found COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths tend to trend upward in the wintertime (during December and January, primarily) as well as the summer (typically, during July and August).

The CDC added the emergence of new variants also contributed to COVID-19 activity levels peaking at different points. Variants like Delta and Omicron were responsible for several upticks, with higher detection during the winter and summertime.

Preventative strategies

The CDC recommends the following measures as essential strategies to mitigate contracting or spreading COVID-19:

• Immunizations
• Proper hygiene
• Increased ventilation for cleaner air
• Treatment options, like Paxlovid, if you do test positive
• Stay home if you're sick to minimize spreading it

Beyond these measures, extra preventative efforts include using masks while in public, practicing social distancing and taking tests if you come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 or suspect you have it yourself.

If you do test positive, the CDC encourages people to stay home and away from others until you've been fever-free without medication for 24 hours and your symptoms have improved in the past 24 hours.

Beyond that, patients are encouraged to take added precautions during the following five days after symptoms have decreased and their fever has broken.

Austin Public Health offers resources online for where to find COVID-19 vaccines, testing options and treatment locally.