Number of active COVID-19 cases in Comal County again exceeds 500 | Community alert

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Comal County has exceeded 500 for the first time since mid-February.

Comal County health officials on Thursday added 118 new COVID-19 cases and 32 recoveries to its totals, bringing the number of active cases to 505, an increase of 87 cases from the previous day.

Of the new cases, 92 are confirmed and 26 are probable.

The number of active cases has exploded in recent weeks, from 189 on June 1 to 210 on June 23, 226 on July 1, 327 on July 15 and 423 on Monday.

The last time the county saw more than 500 cases was on February 12.

The vast majority of new cases are identified in people aged 60 or younger. According to county numbers, 37 were in their 50s and 60s, 33 in their 30s and 40s, 21 in their 20s and 19 under 20.

The county has reported 12,049 cases since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

No deaths were reported Thursday. The death toll remained at 334.

Cheryl Fraser, county public health director, told county commissioners at their meeting on Thursday that hospitalizations were also on the rise.

“We are also seeing more children coming in sicker with COVID-19,” Fraser said. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself against the virus. You can make an appointment at our public health clinic if you still have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. “

Among the county’s active cases, 21 people are hospitalized, an increase of three from Wednesday’s report.

Hospitals in Comal County said they treated 28 COVID-19 patients, down four from the previous day, including 10 in intensive care and six on ventilators.

Officials said that number could include both county residents and out-of-county residents who are hospitalized.

Older people most at risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 have been massively vaccinated, but coverage has been lower among younger age groups. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, three-quarters of Texans 65 and over are now fully vaccinated, compared to 40% of 18- to 34-year-olds and just 26% of 12 to 17-year-olds.

“Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are now increasing in all age groups,” DSHS commissioner Dr John Hellerstedt said in a statement. “As fewer young people get very sick, they can contract and spread the virus, and we are still learning about the long-term effects. Tens of millions of people have been vaccinated without side effects. We know that these vaccines are not only safe but also very effective. Achieving higher vaccination rates is essential to removing the threat of COVID from our communities. “

Cases and hospitalizations are increasing as data indicates that the delta variant now accounts for most new COVID-19 infections in Texas, according to DSHS officials. Health experts claim that the variant spreads more easily and can cause more serious illness.

While the delta variant has not been confirmed among the Comal County cases, Fraser told commissioners, that doesn’t mean the variant isn’t spreading in the community.

“This means that the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) did not test these samples,” she said.

Fraser also added that some COVID-19 positive patients had been vaccinated but gave no specific figure.

“It is not a measure to report to the local health department,” she said. “I know a lot of media has asked how many positives have been vaccinated, but that would require a lot of research for us, and we just don’t have the staff to do it at this time. If they’re in the hospital and they’re positive, that means we’ll have to go through and read their entire hospital record to figure it out, but we’re seeing some vaccines coming back positive. “

Local doctors said most of the COVID patients they saw were unvaccinated, and the state said on Wednesday that 99.5% of people died from COVID-19 in Texas from February 8 to July 14 were not vaccinated.

Fraser said the Department of Health is looking for grants and other opportunities to expand operations and add staff “to track data, provide more community education and make vaccines available to all populations. of our county and surrounding counties “.

The percentage of regional hospital beds used by COVID-19 patients has also increased in recent days, remaining above 5% on Thursday.

The region, which includes 22 counties including Comal and Guadalupe, was at 5.64%, down from 5.32% on Wednesday. The percentage has more than doubled since early July, when only 2.4% of beds were used by COVID patients. At the beginning of February, it stood at 19.45%.

Comal County’s seven-day molecular positivity rate stood at 11.38% on Wednesday and the antigen level stood at 7.08%.

According to DSHS figures, in Comal County 60.81% of residents over 12 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 53.58% are fully vaccinated on Thursday. These rates exceed statewide rates by 59.84% and 51.72%, respectively.

Vaccination rates in Guadalupe County, which includes part of the city of New Braunfels, were 53.81% with one dose and 47.72% fully vaccinated.

The Comal County Public Health Department administers the Moderna vaccine for people 18 years of age and older as well as the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 12 years of age and older.

Those interested in receiving a vaccine can call 830-221-1150 to make an appointment.