echoing last year鈥檚 surge of the omicron variant.
There are more than 18,000 positive cases across the state this week, up from a little over 7,000 the week of Thanksgiving.
鈥淭hanksgiving this year was kind of like PTSD,鈥� said epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, author of . 鈥淚 think all of us epidemiologists were holding our breath, just to make sure this was going to be a regular Thanksgiving.鈥�
While hospitalizations and deaths are still low thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations and the updated bivalent booster that targets omicron, cases have been steadily climbing since November.
The change this year, Jetelina said, is the combination of flu, RSV, and now COVID. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports the intensity of influenza-like illness has remained 鈥渧ery high鈥� in the past few weeks, with an increase in the number of influenza outbreaks and .
鈥淩SV and flu are just back with vengeance,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e're starting to get a sneak peek of what this new normal is.鈥�
Other states, like New York, have issued a . Jetelina said it鈥檚 important to think about protecting the most vulnerable members of the community, like the elderly and folks who are immunocompromised.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to have 90-year-old people at my house for Christmas this year,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat, to me, means I am wearing an N-95 mask in public everywhere I go the week before Christmas. It helps ensure I don鈥檛 miss the event because I鈥檓 sick, but it also helps break that transmission chain so I don鈥檛 bring it to my grandparents.鈥�
She says it鈥檚 not too late to get vaccinated to protect against COVID and the flu.
鈥淚鈥檓 tired, everyone鈥檚 tired, [but] the virus isn鈥檛 tired of us,鈥� she said.
Health officials in Dallas are also monitoring a . Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Philip Huang said it鈥檚 the combination of two previous strains of omicron, and spreads faster than previous variants.
鈥淚f there is a new variant that starts taking over that perhaps might be more severe and more resistant to the protections for the vaccine, that would certainly be concerning,鈥� he said.
Got a tip? Email Elena Rivera at erivera@kera.org. You can follow Elena on Twitter .
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