There’s another COVID variant spreading in Tarrant County. Here’s what to know.
As the U.S. enters its fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet another new variant has evolved and is spreading among the population.
Virologists and other researchers have said that the continued ebb and flow of waves of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death will continue in the short term, as long as there are unvaccinated or undervaccinated people to infect, or people with compromised immune systems. Among these vulnerable groups of people, a COVID-19 infection is more likely to mutate and create a new variant capable of extending the pandemic even longer.
The latest COVID variant that is spreading in Tarrant County and across the country is called XBB.1.5.
What is COVID XBB.1.5?
Right now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that XBB.1.5 makes up about 27.5% of all new cases in the U.S. The reason this variant has caused some concern is because of how quickly it spread. In early December, it was only causing about 8% of new infections.
“That’s the big thing everybody looks for — how quickly it takes over from existing variants,” Shaun Truelove, an infectious-disease modeler at Johns Hopkins University, told The Atlantic. “And that’s a really quick rise.”
The XBB.1.5 is technically a “descendant” of the original omicron variant. When omicron surfaced last winter, it caused a surge of infections, hospitalizations and deaths, because the virus had mutated to become more infectious and more immune evasive, meaning that even people who were vaccinated or who had had COVID-19 before still had a chance of getting infected.
XBB.1.5 appears to be more immune evasive and contagious than its predecessor, experts believe. But it doesn’t appear to cause more severe disease or death. Experts are still researching it to understand more.
Does the COVID-19 vaccine booster protect against the new variant?
Yes. The bivalent booster doesn’t provide complete protection against XBB.1.5, meaning that you could still get infected after you get vaccinated. But most importantly, vaccine researchers say, is that the booster does decrease your chances of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 and from dying. People vaccinated with the bivalent booster have an 18.6 times lower risk of dying from COVID-19 right now, according to the CDC.
Bivalent boosters are available for anyone age six months and older if it has been at least two months since their last dose.
Are COVID-19 numbers increasing in Tarrant County?
Yes. After an early start to flu and RSV seasons in Tarrant County, hospitalizations for COVID-19 are starting to increase.
The number of new cases in the county is now a less reliable number because so many people are using at-home tests that aren’t reflected in the data. But the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has steadily increased in the last two weeks. Last week, hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were 92% full, according to state hospital data.
Where can I find the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 tests in Tarrant County?
To stay healthy for the rest of the winter, doctors recommend you get both the bivalent COVID-19 booster and your seasonal flu shot, if you have gotten them already. You should also take COVID-19 tests before you spend time with infants, people age 65 or older, or anyone who is immunocompromised. Epidemiologists also recommend wearing a high-quality surgical or medical mask if you have been exposed to COVID-19 or if you have a compromised immune system and are going to be in an enclosed space with poor ventilation.
You can order COVID-19 tests to be shipped directly to your home online at covid.gov/tests. You can also call 1-800-232-0233 for help ordering tests.
If you have health insurance, you can buy COVID-19 tests and then submit the cost to your health insurance plan for reimbursement.
You can get the COVID-19 vaccine or the bivalent booster at most pharmacies or at your doctor’s office. You can find a list of vaccine clinics hosted by Tarrant County Public Health at VaxUpTC.com.
