By Piper Rutherford | Staff Writer
As students return to campus for the first week of classes, the Health Center anticipates an influx in respiratory viruses. In addition to combating the flu, COVID-19 cases are also on the rise.
Dr. Sharon Stern, medical director at Baylor, said that although data for the collective number of COVID-19 cases in McLennan County isn’t being tracked, it is not just Waco that is seeing this post-summer surge, but all of Texas.
“Since July 1, Baylor’s campus has had nine positives out of 48 tests,” Stern said. “And in the last month alone, we have had seven positives out of 29 tests, which is almost a 25% positivity rate.”
Similarly, Brittany Chacon from Martindale Family Medicine, said the Waco clinic is seeing a rise in both COVID-19 and flu cases because of the end of summer and the start of the school year.
As for the variants that Waco is seeing right now, Stern said they are highly contagious, but do not seem to be causing serious illness.
“Most of these cases are presenting themselves in the form of a summer cold,” Stern said. “Every time school starts back, we expect to see a higher number of respiratory viruses because people go or come from elsewhere and bring germs from their home state or country with them.”
The predominant COVID-19 variant to be on the lookout for is SARS-CoV-2, Dr. Michael Muehlenbein said in an email. Muehlenbein is the Chair of the Department of Anthropology and served as an epidemiologist for Baylor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve and spread throughout the global population,” Muehlenbein said. “It has established itself as an endemic disease like those caused by influenza and other respiratory viruses, and as such is something we will always be combating.”
As for the main reason for the sudden rise in cases, Muehlenbein similarly said he ascribes this to the start of school across the United States.
In order to stay healthy these next few weeks, Muehlenbein said he recommends that students take standard health precautions.
“These include monitoring for symptoms, self-testing, wearing facemasks — using the right ones and wearing them properly,” Muehlenbein said. “Hygiene, especially hand-washing and avoiding those who are immunocompromised. There are also updated multivalent vaccine boosters available, and it is recommended to be up to date with one’s immunizations.”
Although students can no longer obtain the booster shot at Baylor, Stern said they can visit local pharmacies in Waco to get the vaccine.
“It is also important to note that while the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has taken away the isolation requirements, a positive result should be treated like the flu,” Stern said. “This means that if you have a fever, you should stay home until it is gone for 24 hours, or if you are coughing, it is best to wear a mask when you are inside and around other people, such as classmates or roommates.”
Muehlenbein said the best course of action to protect one’s health and the health of those around them is to consult one’s healthcare provider if one feels ill.
“This prevents not only transmission to the most susceptible of us, but also avoids long COVID-19 disease cases,” Muehlenbein said.
