TMC leaders warn about another COVID-19 surge ahead of Spring Break – KHOU.com

Doctors say more contagious variants have caused hospitalizations to plateau even as vaccinations are increasing.

HOUSTON With three COVID-19 vaccinesnow being administered in Houston, leaders in the Texas Medical Centersay were poised to hit herd immunity by this summer.

Just in the last month, weve gone from 90,000 vaccinations a week. Now were over 232,000, said Bill McKeon, CEO of the Texas Medical Center.

McKeon, Harris Health System CEO Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, Houston Health Department Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse, and Baylor College of Medicine CEO Dr. Paul Klotman held a webinar to go over COVID-19 trends Wednesday.

They say the influx of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine is a game changer.

All three vaccines are very, very effective in keeping you from getting sick enough to require hospitalization and keeping you alive, Persse said.

However, doctors say it isnt time to celebrate. Vaccinations are going up, but hospitalizations arent going down.

Unfortunately for the last two and a half or three weeks, the numbers are staying the same. Theyre more than twice what they were before the last surge occurred, so this is a really scary situation, Porsa said.

He says the spread of more contagious variants is a big reason why. Health officials are watching COVID-19 numbers closely as Texas ends its statewide mask mandate.

If we can continue to be rigorous in mask wearing, public health measures, and physical distancing when appropriate well be ok. If not, well see a surge. Remember, every surge is larger than the previous one, because the base is bigger, said Klotman.

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TMC leaders warn about another COVID-19 surge ahead of Spring Break - KHOU.com