Texas Experiences an Increase in COVID-19 Variants
May 11, 2021
Last winter, health officials were concerned that COVID-19 variants would rapidly spread across the state, further saturating already overburdened intensive care units. As reported by The Texas Tribune in the article:
"COVID-19 Variant Cases Are on the Rise in Texas. Here's What You Need to Know", health officials are worried about the possibility of a larger outbreak fueled by more contagious variants. However, new case averages, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decline in Texas, with over 25% of Texans fully vaccinated.
In more than half of the states in the country, the average weekly number of new COVID-19 cases has decreased with 29% of Americans now completely vaccinated. According to Benjamin Neuman, a virologist and professor at Texas A&M University, COVID-19 began as a single strain and has since spawned dozens of recorded mutations.
Variants are a worrying phenomenon because some of them may spread more easily, cause more serious illness in more individuals, and may be immune to COVID-19 treatments currently in use. Some researchers are concerned that if more mutations are discovered, hospitalizations and deaths will increase. Vaccines and other preventive steps such as social distancing and mask-wearing, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can protect people from variants.
To learn more about COVID-19 variants in Texas, visit the complete article:
"COVID-19 Variant Cases Are on the Rise in Texas. Here's What You Need to Know".
