DALLAS (AP) — Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Texas rose again Wednesday with numbers that signaled a dark holiday season on the way despite early vaccinations providing some comfort that an end of the pandemic is in sight.
Texas reported 9,528 people hospitalized with COVID-19 and 252 more fatalities from the disease caused by the virus Wednesday. Intensive care units in some regions were at or near full capacity, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The department also reported 14,805 newly confirmed cases of the virus and 3,202 more probable cases.
The actual number of cases is believed to be far higher because many people haven’t been tested and some who get the disease don’t show symptoms.
Over the last week, more than one in five coronavirus tests in Texas have come back positive, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.
