As cases of the novel coronavirus continue to surge across the country, Texas and Florida remain among the states with the highest number of increases cases in the last several weeks. Health officials are urging individuals to not only wear masks but continue social distancing to stop the spread. While many believe that the elderly are most susceptible to the virus and children are out of risk, reports continue to show otherwise.
More than 80 toddlers under the age of two, with a majority younger than 1-years-old, tested positive for the coronavirus in a single Texas county, according to a local public health official. "These babies have not even had their first birthdays yet," Annette Rodriguez, director of public health for Corpus Christi in Nueces County said Friday during a press conference. "Please help us to stop the spread of this disease. Stay social distanced from others; stay protected. Wear a mask when in public and for everyone else please do your best to stay home." Rodriguez did not provide further information on the conditions of the babies outside of stating that fewer than 10 infants have been hospitalized.
According to NBC News, on Friday Rodriguez initially said statistics showed 85 infants under 1-years-old having tested positive for the virus, by Saturday she clarified the total included children between the ages of one and two years old. Of the 85 infants who tested positive 52 are younger than one.
Rodriguez’s announcement follows the nation’s highest single-day record of new reported COVID-19 cases at 75,775. Within the last week, Nueces County has seen the fastest increase in new coronavirus cases as opposed to any other metropolitan in Texas, Corpus Christi city manager Peter Zanoni told CNN. “You can see the trend line is relatively flat until July, and this is where we have had that huge spike in cases, and this is why it’s turned into a major problem for Nueces County,” he said.
Zanoni noted that while in April the city saw reports of three to five new cases a day, by July the seven-day average for the county was up to 357. Public officials told The Texas Tribune an increase in tourist and visitor activity on beachfronts could have contributed to an increase in cases. The city has reported more than 8,000 coronavirus cases and 82 deaths as a result of the virus, CNN reported.
According to The Texas Tribune, the city has one of the fastest-growing outbreaks reported this month with an addition of more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases each week. Nueces County Medical Examiner Adel Shaker told The TexasTribune last week that a baby boy, younger than 6 months old, tested positive for the virus and died last week. Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows 174 deaths in the county reported on Friday alone.
With the county reaching a 38 percent positivity rate for residents who test for coronavirus, Rodriguez emphasized the urgent need for residents to work with officials to lower the spread. "Residents must act now. We desperately need you to help lower the transmission of this virus. Stay home. Especially if you are sick, older and/or have medical conditions," she said. "If you are sick and do not need medical attention, do everything in your power to get well." Noting that state hospitals were reaching capacity, Rodriguez added: "This rate must be lowered if we are going to be successful in lowering the number of hospitalizations and lowering the number of people that we're losing to the virus. The next two weeks are critical in slowing the spread of COVID-19."
According to data compiled by John Hopkins University, nearly 140,000 people have died in the U.S. as a result of COVID-19. As of this report, there have been at least 330,645 cases of coronavirus in Texas. At least 3,976 deaths have been reported in the state as a result of COVID-19.