What’s Going Around: Viruses Spreading in Katy, League City, Baytown & Cypress
HOUSTON — While many associate summer with sunshine and relaxation, several Houston-area communities are seeing an unexpected uptick in respiratory illnesses, including strep throat, COVID-19, and upper respiratory infections.
LEAGUE CITY
In League City, healthcare professionals are reporting an increase in upper respiratory infections, strep throat, and COVID-19 cases. According to Linda Moghalu, Senior Practice Manager with MinuteClinic, patients continue to show up with symptoms commonly seen in colder months.
KATY
The Katy area is also seeing a notable spike in strep throat, with local CVS MinuteClinic providers treating a steady flow of patients dealing with throat infections.
HUMBLE
In Humble, Macqualine Triplett, a family nurse practitioner with MinuteClinic, shared that she’s treating a range of cases including seasonal allergies, rhino-sinusitis (both viral and bacterial), and streptococcal tonsillitis.
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BAYTOWN
According to data collected by Houston Methodist, the Baytown and Texas Medical Center campuses have experienced the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the region from May through July. Rhinovirus also ranked high in patient diagnoses, surpassing other illnesses like the flu and RSV during this period.
CYPRESS
In contrast, Cypress reported the fewest cases of these respiratory illnesses across the Houston Methodist system over the past few months, offering a slight reprieve in an otherwise widespread trend.
SUMMER TRAVEL AND NATIONWIDE TRENDS
Dr. Mike Ren, a family physician at Baylor College of Medicine, confirmed that both flu and COVID-19 are still actively spreading. He warns that with increased travel during the Fourth of July holiday, cases may surge further.
Adding to concerns, the ‘Nimbus’ COVID variant has begun circulating more widely across the U.S., contributing to a national rise in infections.
