Why Austin health officials urge caution to avoid a post-July 4 surge in COVID-19 cases

As crowds gather for events during another holiday weekend, Austin-area public health leaders warn that the threat of COVID-19 could increase if you're heading out to socialize in the city.

Increasing numbers of hospital admissions appear to show the Austin area possibly in the foothills of a new surge in coronavirus cases. Austin Public Health this week released updated precautions against the coronavirus for residents at high risk of having severe symptoms, being hospitalized or dying.

Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, encouraged those at high risk — primarily the most medically vulnerable among us, often with chronic health problems — or who are frequently around high-risk people, to wear masks while indoors with others this weekend.

Walkes also continued to raise awareness of monkeypox, a rare infection circulating across the nation. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week confirmed Travis County’s first monkeypox case, a resident who is isolating at home. Austin Public Health is also investigating five other probable cases.

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Monkeypox can be spread through close skin contact, like hugging, kissing or talking closely. It can also spread through such shared fabrics as clothing, sheets and towels, or even items like children's toys, according to Walkes.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and, more noticeably, a rash that looks like pimples or blisters on the face, inside the mouth and other parts of the body.

Omicron remains biggest COVID-19 threat in Austin

Public health leaders are concerned about the few hundred confirmed monkeypox cases across the country, but they said the omicron variant of the coronavirus is a much bigger threat. This is because one person infected with the omicron variant is estimated to infect between five and 24 people, while someone with monkeypox would likely infect one person or no one at all.

So for the third Fourth of July in a row, Austin Public Health is focused on limiting coronavirus spread. Gatherings last year led to faster spread of the highly contagious delta variant. That strain of the virus caused a then-record-setting surge in cases over the rest of the summer.

"We’re seeing concerning trends with our disease indicators, which is especially worrisome as we head into a holiday weekend," Walkes said Tuesday. “Test now, get up to date with your vaccines, and try to celebrate this weekend outdoors. Taking these steps will help protect loved ones and our hospital systems.”

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What are Austin's latest COVID numbers?

Because of at-home coronavirus testing, the number of current COVID-19 cases recorded by Austin Public Health is far fewer than the actual number in the community. Instead, a more accurate account of virus spread would be found by looking at hospitalization data.

Unlike the delta variant, the omicron variant has this year caused milder symptoms than those shown in 2021. However, many hospitalization records were still broken in late winter and early spring because of omicron.

As of Friday, a total of 118 people were in the hospital in the Austin metro area with COVID-19. At the start of June, only 44 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions for the coronavirus, used historically during the pandemic to help gauge the level of disease spread in the community, was 25 on Friday. That is an increase from 9.9 on June 1.

Walkes said the new omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, are overtaking the original strain, with the current virus spread now causing reinfections that are more likely to cause lung problems in at-risk people. Those lung issues could lead to more hospitalizations and increase the need to be hospitalized in intensive care units.

More: After a week reprieve, Travis County back up to medium level on COVID-19 spread

The CDC uses key statistics to determine whether the risk of COVID-19 spread is low, medium or high.

One of those key statistics is the seven-day transmission rate, which is the number of cases per 100,000 people. Anything above 100 cases per 100,000 people puts our area in the medium level. On Friday, the average for Travis County was 276, up from 206 last week, Austin Public Health data show.

Travis County, along with every other county in the metro area — Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell — are currently in the medium level of community spread for COVID-19.

Austin Public Health, hoping to avoid another surge this summer, is now offering coronavirus vaccinations for everyone, including those as young as 6 months old, at Old Sims Elementary, 1203 Springdale Road. The vaccine site is open 2-7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

The clinic will be closed on Saturday because of the holiday weekend, according to Austin Public Health.

“We have highly-trained staff at our testing and vaccine sites that are here to help make sure you have a safe weekend with family and friends,” APH Director Adrienne Sturrup said. “We encourage families, especially those with young children, to come to our Old Sims clinic to start getting up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin health officials urge caution this July 4 to avoid COVID surge