Texas Superstorm's Impact on Coronavirus

March 10, 2021

It wasn't too long ago when the superstorm hit Texas, and experts say the aftereffects could be worrisome. A New York Times article titled "The Impact of the Storm in Texas Could Lead to More Virus Cases, Experts Say" reports that the storm could lead to an increase in coronavirus cases as hundreds of people were forced to huddle together in their homes, cars or shelters. It's important to note that during a pandemic, the storm almost collapsed the state's power grid leaving millions of people in dark and unheated homes during grueling temperatures.

During the week that the storm crushed Texas, coronavirus cases reporting dropped tremendously but has subsequently risen again ever since. People stood in long lines for hours for food and water at grocery stores and food distribution sites. Many people stayed overnight in warming centers or crashed with friends and families while their homes were without electricity and flooded due to pipes bursting. While it is still too early to determine any growth or decline in cases, experts say that the conditions raised many concerns.

Dr. Jetelina mentions that there's a real possibility that the coronavirus had super spreader events as it was more easily transmissible with people stranded indoors for an extended period of time. That being said, coronavirus cases could also go the other way since millions of people were forced to stay home as work and school were canceled. As the data reporting isn't up to date yet, it'll take a couple of weeks to determine how good or bad the superstorm affected case numbers.

For more information, make sure to head over to the NYT here: The Impact of the Storm in Texas Could Lead to More Virus Cases, Experts Say