New coronavirus strain is about 70% more transmissible: expert
University of Washington Chief Strategy Officer of Population Health Dr. Ali Mokdad reacts to the new strain of coronavirus reaching the United States.
Just days into 2021, the state of Texas is already facing a grim new record.
On Sunday, the state set a new coronavirus hospitalization record, with some 12,563 people in Texas currently hospitalized with COVID-19. The new record represents more than a 240-person increase from the day prior, per official estimates.
"The numbers are going up. Everything is trending in the wrong direction — new cases, hospitalizations and the positivity rate," said Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor University College of Medicine, according to local news station KHOU.
Amid the surge, Hotez noted that he expects many businesses to temporarily shutter.
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"Whether or not we can interrupt virus transmission and restore our city or county to something that resembles normal depends on how quickly we can vaccinate our population," he added.
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The Lone Star State also recorded more than 14,500 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.
To date, Texas has recorded more than 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 28,000 virus deaths.
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