AUSTIN - There has been a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Texas over the last week, with around 75% of those cases originating from the Delta variant, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
During a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Media Relations Director Chris Van Deusen said COVID cases are up 92%, hospitalizations are up 49% and fatalities are up 15% this week, compared to last week.
Chief State Epidemiologist Dr. Jennifer Shuford said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 80% of cases nationwide are due to Delta.
Shuford showed a graph with three different "waves" of COVID case increases in Texas since last summer - the first wave being from June 2020 to July 2020, the second wave being from October 2020 to January 2021 and the third wave starting this July and currently ongoing.
The visual showed that Texas is on a similar trend of uptick in cases as the previous two waves. A similar visual was shown displaying hospitalizations.
"What you can see is the rise in cases is similar to what we've seen in previous waves, and might even be steeper," Shuford said. "And that really shows how contagious the Delta variant is. It's spreading much more rapidly among unvaccinated people than the viruses that we saw last year."
Shuford stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, saying that it is especially important to get both the first and second dose completed to protect against Delta.
"This alarming rise in cases and hospitalizations makes it more important for every person to go get fully vaccinated. We know that these vaccines work, even against variants like Delta. We also know that no vaccine is perfect - they never will be. So, there will be some break-through cases, especially for people who might not have a strong immune response to the vaccine in the first place.
"But most vaccinated people are protected from getting sick with COVID-19. And those vaccinated people who do get sick with COVID-19 are likely to have a shorter, milder illness."
According to DSHS, 99.5% of people who died due to COVID-19 in Texas from Feb. 8 to July 14 were unvaccinated, while 0.5% were the result of "breakthrough infections," which DSHS defines as people who contracted the virus two weeks after being fully vaccinated.
Shuford recommended that non-vaccinated people wear masks in public and even suggested that fully-vaccinated people should wear masks in known, high-risk areas.
"We know that some people have questions about the safety and effectiveness of these COVID-19 vaccines, and that is totally understandable. But time is of the essence right now," she said. "COVID is spreading quickly in Texas and causing increased hospitalizations in every age group. Some of these people are dying, and many who survive are experiencing long-term complications. So for the people with questions, don't wait to ask those questions. Talk to your health care provider as soon as possible."
(To learn more, visit https://www.dshs.texas.gov/)