Amarillo Health Dept. Releases Flu Report; Changes Coming To COVID19 Report Card

The Amarillo Department of Public Health did not release a COVID-19 bulletin this week, but it did report one flu-related death as positive cases continue to decline. In addition, the department's website noted an increase of nearly 400 COVID-19 cases and one new death since last week.

"Our team is updating the newsletter format and will be sharing information from the previous week every Wednesday," the department said in an update posted to Facebook. The Department notes in related information that the City of Amarillo has partnered with WasewaterSCAN to provide wastewater monitoring in the City of Amarillo. “We call it 'sewage' but we don't want to waste it. Infected people can shed the virus in their feces even if they don't show any symptoms. And once health services know, communities can act quickly to prevent the spread of these infections."

The wastewater monitoring program monitors:

To access local water monitoring data, go to WastewaterSCAN at: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/…

COVID update

A total of 683,586 tests have been conducted domestically since the pandemic began, according to the Health Ministry's website. The total rose to 89,778 COVID-19 cases, 1,365 active cases, a 20% 7-day positive rate and 1,325 deaths. The total number of cases in Potter County since the pandemic began has risen to 43,167, with 781 virus-related deaths. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Randall County since the pandemic began has risen to 46,611, with 544 virus-related deaths, according to the website Friday.

The website also revealed that 27 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, 22 of whom are in intensive care.

flu update

The Department of Health's weekly influenza report is prepared by all local service providers who voluntarily report influenza to the APHD in Potter and Randall counties. Previous weekly influenza reports can be found on the Department of Health's website. The dates are sorted by week starting October 16th. The highest total for the season so far was recorded in the week of December 12, when a total of 2,388 cases of influenza and flu-like illnesses were reported.

According to the Influenza Bulletin, 14 cases of influenza A, 16 cases of influenza B and 475 cases of influenza-like illness were recorded in the week ended February 13. 17 cases were classified as "undifferentiated", for a weekly total of 522. The total for the last week was 491.

"We continue to reduce the number of reported positive influenza cases," the update said. "We reported one flu-related death this week." The department urges Amarillo residents to do the following to protect themselves:

• Stay up to date with the latest flu vaccine - recommended annually for everyone aged 6 months and over

• Stay home if you are sick

• Wash your hands often

• Clean and disinfect facilities and surfaces

• Don't touch your face with dirty hands

vaccines and boosters

The Amarillo Department of Health is encouraging residents to take the opportunity to receive free vaccines and booster shots before the May public health and national emergency declarations are lifted.

Anyone 6 months or older should stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including the most recent booster shot if eligible, to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death; According to the Ministry of Health, it is also the best way to prevent long-term symptoms of COVID. For the latest information on COVID-19 or to find vaccination locations, visit www.AmarilloAlerts.com. Weekly influenza reports are available at www.amarillopublichealth.org.

According to the Amarillo Department of Public Health, the boosters increase protection against COVID and its infectious variants, such as the Omicron variant and the new XBB1.5 variant, which was recently labeled “highly transmissible” by the WHO. People over 6 months are better protected if they keep their vaccinations up to date, meaning they have received all the recommended doses for their age.

Upcoming mobile immunization clinics include this Friday, February 17 at 10am at the Guyon Saunders Resource Center; Monday, February 20 at 9 a.m. at the Community Resource Gallery at 1601 S Cleveland St.; Thursday, February 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bicycle Design Open House; Tuesday, February 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the Panhandle Community Services Hygiene Closet; Thursday, March 9 at 6:00 p.m. at The Salvation Army. and on Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. at the Guyon Saunders Resource Center. Nurses will be present at the mobile clinics to answer health-related questions. Free COVID vaccines are also available from the Amarillo Department of Public Health, 850 Martin Street. Learn more at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/findavaccine, including scheduling a free trip to Amarillo Public Health.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe News: Amarillo Health Department. publishes a report on influenza; There are no weekly updates on COVID-19

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