The State of COVID in Fayette County
With Christmas travels approaching, interest has piqued on our local, state and global status in relation to the endemic COVID-19 virus. Fayette County is doing fairly well right now in comparison to where we were at the peak of the Delta wave. We are also doing well in comparison to much of Texas and the rest of the world currently.
Fayette County: Countywide, we are averaging just fewer than two lab tested new cases per day and have been averaging this number (+/- one case) since early October. This number does not take into account the untested, or most home tests. The record high was on Sept. 7 with an average lab tested new case per day rate of 20.
On average, 96% of the tests that were conducted over the last week were negative. This is an indication of two important factors, 1) most of the signs/ symptoms that citizens are experiencing are coming from other causes such as seasonal allergies, colds, etc. and 2) we have a high number of citizens who are being tested when they have symptoms. Both of these are encouraging signs.
The infection rate is currently at “1” which means the cases are neither increasing nor decreasing. The targeted goal is to keep this number at or below one.
Tragically, deaths continue to occur, but the rate of death has slowed dramatically for Fayette County. We had our longest span of time without a COVID death recently, with a six week gap between deaths. This is the longest gap since early in the crisis.
There are no cases of the Omicron Variant currently reported in Fayette County, but Omicron is expected to be the main variant in Texas within a week. It is already the dominant variant across the USA.
Texas: The lab tested new case rate for Texas is over twice our local level, with most of the new cases originating in the metropolitan areas. Harris County/ Ft. Bend County are averaging more than 30 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. One hospital in the Houston area reports that almost half of the new cases are Omicron variant, and that the amount of Omicron variant doubles every two to three days.
Worldwide: The most reliable data for what the world can expect over the next few weeks comes from South Africa. South Africa and Botswana were the first countries largely affected by the Omicron wave, but South Africa has a much more robust surveillance system and healthcare system than Botswana. There is a lot of good news to report from the area. The Minister of Health states that although infections are significantly increased, hospitalizations are far less common than with the Delta Wave. He reports that only 1.7% of cases require hospitalization compared to 19% of delta cases. However, hospitals worldwide are encouraged to prepare for more visits and possibly more hospitalized patients. This will be difficult with an already overburdened system.
Travel rules vary widely right now depending on where you are traveling, it is highly encouraged to look on the official website for your departure and arriving destination to look for any recent changes or requirements. This is true for both domestic and international travel.
Please enjoy your holidays and cherish time with your family and friends.