Kerr County's suffered its first 2022 COVID-19 death, most likely attributed to the omicron variant, when the Texas Department of State Health Services announced the fatality on Thursday.
The death appears to have happened on Monday — outside of Kerr County. All of this comes on a day when Texas reported more than 43,000 new cases, and positivity hit 35%. There is no indication when this latest surge will subside. Since Dec. 13, more than 500,000 Texans have tested positive for COVID-19.
The DSHS system appears to be so backlogged that it's unclear how many cases may be out there. The spreadsheet used to track the virus shows that from Dec. 27-29, 161,000 people tested positive using a molecular test — that's nearly double what The Lead reported earlier this week.
When it comes to fatalities, the reporting on the latest Kerr County death was unusually quick for DSHS. The agency says this is Kerr County's 143 death, but DSHS hasn't confirmed a death at Peterson Regional Medical Center in months. The Lead estimates Kerr County's death toll as more than 200.
Even more alarming is the number of pediatric patients rose statewide to more than 350 children — based on data at least 24 hours old. Doctors across the state see a rising number of children sickened by COVID-19, but the pediatric symptoms appear to be milder than those of early variants.
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The number hospitalized rose to 8,740 people, or by 7.5% since Tuesday. Once again, this data is at least 24 hours old.
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Kerr County COVID-19 deaths since Oct. 1.
- Oct. 1, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Oct. 3, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 22)
- Oct. 5, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Oct. 6, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services. (Reported on Nov. 4)
- Oct. 7, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services. (Reported on Oct. 27)
- Oct. 10, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Oct. 10, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 21)
- Oct. 14, as reported by Peterson Regional Medical Center. (Reported on Oct. 15)
- Oct. 14, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 20).
- Oct. 14, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 21).
- Oct. 22, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 28).
- Oct. 25, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 12).
- Nov. 4, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 11).
- Nov. 8, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 20, changed to Nov. 8 on Nov. 30)
- Nov. 16, as reported by Peterson Regional Medical Center (Reported on Nov. 17).
- Nov. 23, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Dec. 3)
- Dec 4, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services
- Dec. 5, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services
- Jan. 3, 2022, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 6)
