Comal County COVID-19 Active Cases Over 500 Again | Community Alerts

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

Health officials in Comal County added 118 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 recovery to the total on Thursday, increasing the number of active cases to 505, an increase of 87 cases from the previous day.

Of the new cases, 92 have been identified and 26 are likely.

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

The county last saw more than 500 incidents on February 12.

The majority of new cases have been identified in people under the age of 60. According to county figures, 37 were in their 50s and 60s, 33 were in their 30s and 40s, 21 were in their 20s, and 19 were under the age of 20.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the county has reported 12,049 cases.

No deaths have been reported on Thursday. The death toll remained at 334.

County Public Health Director Cheryl Fraser said at a meeting Thursday that county commissioners were being hospitalized more and more.

“Also, more and more children are getting sick with COVID-19,” Fraser said. “Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from the virus. If you haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine yet, you can book it at our public health clinic.”

Of the county’s active cases, 21 have been hospitalized, an increase of 3 from Wednesday’s report.

The Comal County hospital reported care for 28 COVID-19 patients, a decrease of 4 from the previous day, 10 in the intensive care unit and 6 on the ventilator.

Authorities say the number could include residents of both inpatient and non-county counties.

Older people at the highest risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 are overwhelmingly vaccinated, but lower intakes in the younger age group. According to Texas Health Department data, three-quarters of the Texans aged 65 and over are fully vaccinated, compared to 40% of those aged 18-34 and only 26% of those aged 12-17.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations are currently increasing in all age groups,” DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstett said in a statement. “Few young people get very ill, but they can become infected with the virus and spread. We are still learning about the long-term effects. Tens of millions of people are vaccinated without adverse effects. We know that these vaccines are not only safe, but also very effective. Achieving higher vaccination rates is a threat of COVID from our community. Is essential to eliminate the virus. “

Cases and hospitalizations are increasing as the data show that the delta variant describes most new COVID-19 infections in Texas, according to DSHS officials. Health experts say the variants can spread more easily and cause more serious illness.

No delta mutations have been identified in the Comal County case, but Fraser told the Commissioner. That does not mean that the mutation has not spread to the community.

“That means (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) hasn’t tested those specimens,” she said.

Fraser added that some COVID-19-positive patients were vaccinated but did not provide specific numbers.

“It’s not a reportable measure to the local health department,” she said. “I know many media have asked for the number of positive substances vaccinated, but that requires a lot of research for us and we currently don’t have the staff to do it. If you are in the hospital and positive, that means we need to look up and read the entire records in their hospital to understand it, but the vaccinated ones are back positive. I’m seeing you. “

Local doctors have stated that most of the COVID patients they saw have not been vaccinated, and the state on Wednesday said: 99.5% of people who died of COVID-19 I was not vaccinated in Texas from February 8th to July 14th.

According to Fraser, the Department of Health has expanded its business and added staff to “track data, provide more community education, and make vaccines available to everyone in the county and surrounding counties.” He says he is pursuing grants and other opportunities to do so.

The proportion of beds in the area used by COVID-19 patients has also risen recently and remains above 5% on Thursday.

The region, which includes 22 counties including Komar and Guadalupe, was 5.64%, up from 5.32% on Wednesday. That percentage has more than doubled since the beginning of July, when COVID patients used only 2.4% of their beds. It was 19.45% at the beginning of February.

The 7-day molecular positive rate in Comal County was 11.38% on Wednesday and the antigen rate was 7.08%.

According to DSHS figures, 60.81% of residents over the age of 12 have been vaccinated at least once in Comal County, and 53.58% have been fully vaccinated as of Thursday. These rates are higher than the state-wide rates of 59.84% and 51.72%, respectively.

The vaccination rate in Guadalupe County, including part of the city of New Braunfels, was 53.81% for a single vaccination and 47.72% for a complete vaccination.

The Comal County Public Health Service administers the Moderna vaccine to people over the age of 18 and the Pfizer vaccine to people over the age of 12.

Those interested in vaccination can make an appointment by calling 830-221-1150.