CDC: Potter County reaches medium level on COVID-19 positive cases

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The current COVID-19 community level for Potter County has reached what the CDC determines a ‘medium’ level, Randall County is low right now.

The CDC organizes counties with three levels low, medium and high based on COVID-19 numbers.

Dr. Todd Bell, Associate Professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, says the recent spike in the virus can be linked to new variants BA4 and BA5.

“The new variant is better at evading the immune system than the old variant is,” says Dr. Bell. “We are at a point where it’s been long enough since our last surge that immunity has already begun to wane.”

Potter County currently has over 700 active cases, on July 5, the county had 127 test positive.

Dr. Bell says things will get worse before they get better but this is a mild spike compared to previous ones.

“We will actually see some increase in uptake in cases over the course of the next few weeks,” says Bell. “This is going to be a wave of primary mild disease.”

Dr. Bell suggests that if you are experiencing any symptoms to go get tested.

“Don’t just assume that your runny nose and sore throat are because of your allergies,” says Bell. “You really need to test to prove that you’re not shedding virus.”

For a link to regularly updated Corona Virus data, click here.

For a link to the City of Amarillo Department of Public Health post, click here.

Copyright 2022 KFDA. All rights reserved.