COVID-19 cases are on the rise locally and nationally, though it’s still nowhere near the levels of spikes in 2021 and early 2022.
There has been more than a 200% increase in weekly cases in Denton County since early July, according to Denton County Public Health, and the age cohort with the most significant increase is people under 20 years old. There has also been a rise in COVID-related hospitalizations in August.
DCPH reported 77 cases on Aug. 17 by symptom onset, up from single-digit numbers in May and June. The increase is still small compared to dates over the past year-and-a-half. DCPH reported 189 cases on Jan. 4, 2023, 163 on Aug. 17, 2022, and nearly 3,000 cases on Jan. 10, 2022.
Dr. Lowell Phipps of Phipps Family Medicine in Highland Village said he has seen more COVID cases lately, but for most people nowadays, COVID-19 symptoms are relatively minor.
“People who just have COVID, without a secondary issue, usually have pretty mild symptoms, such as a sore throat, a little cough, and sometimes diarrhea,” Phipps said. “The patients who are sicker normally have a second illness like the flu or strep throat, and their symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu.”
Phipps said that as COVID-19 variants change over time, “they become a little bit more or less contagious,” which is likely what is causing the recent uptick in cases. Symptoms also seem show up more quickly than a couple years ago, and Phipps said COVID-19 is a bit easier to treat now, compared to two or three years ago, and he recommended people take Vitamin C and D for an extra immune system boost.
To help prevent catching and/or spreading COVID-19, DCPH recommends residents stay up-to-date on vaccinations, practice proper hand hygiene and avoid contact with people who are sick. DCPH recommends following CDC guidance on what to do if you have been exposed.
Click here for more COVID-19 statistics from DCPH.
