COVID-19 Subvariant is Dominant Strain in the U.S.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the EG.5 subvariant of COVID-19 makes up for the largest proportion of new COVID-19 infections nationwide.

The EG.5 subvariant comes from the Omicron variant and was first detected on February 2, 2023. The CDC estimates that EG.5 makes up 17.3% of all new COVID-19 cases nationwide, an increase from the previous two-week period.

It is unclear if EG.5 is currently in Nueces County, but the Corpus Christi-Nueces County, Public Health District, has seen an increase in reported COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.

The Public Health District will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases and is prepared to respond should the situation change.

The Public Health District recommends the following prevention practices to slow the spread of the disease:

• Avoid large congregate settings
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
• Stay home if you are feeling sick
• Use a COVID-19 at-home test and report the results to the Health District
• Stay up to date with all vaccinations

Residents can visit the Public Health District for at-home COVID-19 test kits during regular working hours on weekdays. COVID-19 vaccines are also still available. No appointment is necessary. The COVID-19 vaccination clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Health District is located at 1702 Horne Road.

Information regarding COVID-19 cases continues to be published and can be accessed by visiting  www.cctexas.com/coronavirus. New case data is posted at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays., The data is a 7-day total.

For more information, media representatives can contact Health District Public Information Officer Brittany Claramunt at 361-826-7232 or email at brittanyc4@cctexas.com.