Texas Pandemic????

Media headlines have Texas as one of the ‘hot spots’ of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Records are being set daily for new COVID-19 cases. Maybe I am missing something. I am living in the middle of this pandemic, but other than people wearing masks, I cannot tell there is any pandemic going on around me.

Traffic is everywhere. Parking lots are full. Most businesses have cars in front of them. Some businesses are picky about how many people can enter at one time, but most stopped counting the incoming and outgoing customer a while back.

What about the numbers? In early May, new COVID-19 cases in Texas averaged around 1450/day. In mid-June, new COVID-19 cases jumped to 4000/day – a 275% increase from the previous month. In early July, new COVID-19 cases jumped again, to nearly 7450/day – over 500% since May and nearly 200% since last month!

In May, the daily death rate for Texas averaged 32. By June, it had increased by roughly 12% to 36. New COVID-19 cases increased in June by 275% and the COVID-19 daily deaths increased by 12%. In July, the COVID-19 daily deaths average 41 in Texas – 28% from May and 14% from June. That 14% increase in daily deaths paralleled a 200% increase in new cases during the same time.

I live in Fort Bend County. It is adjacent to Harris County (Houston, Texas). Since the pandemic started 57 people have lost their lives from or with COVID-19. Two of those 57 were in their 50s. 18% of all COVID-19 cases in Fort Bend County are in their 50s and 3.5% died from or with COVID-19.

Nine of 57 died from or with COVID-19 were in their 50s or around 16%. Twelve percent of the total population in Fort Bend County tested positive for COVID-19. Forty-four out of 57 or 77% of those in their 70s died from or with COVID-19 out of 9% had tested positive for COVID-19 in Fort Bend County.

We know that those over 65 years of age are the most susceptible to early death due to COVID-19. My county affirms this. However, since May, Fort Bend County has averaged less than one death a day and many days with no deaths from or with COVID-19. July is showing one death/day on average.

Is Texas the hot spot for COVID-19? In some eyes, it appears to be. I do not see it the same way. Testing is growing exponentially and more COVID-19 cases are found daily, but daily deaths are increasing incrementally compared to the new infections. That is the rest of the story that is missing from the local and national media stories.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

2 Responses

  1. I live in West TN, and have been tracking 3 of the largest counties.

    Roughly speaking new cases have increased between 200 and 300% in the last month.

    By some odd quirk those counties are also the sites of the latest demonstrations, riots, looting and killing…

    Purely coincidental I’m sure.

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