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COVID-19 may be fading from the headlines, but Houston board-certified physician Dr. Kanti Bansal says that letting your guard down is a grave mistake and urges caution as we move into the summer

HOUSTON, TX – COVID-19 may not be on top of the mind today for many Texans, but Houston, TX-based board-certified emergency room physician, Dr. Kanti Bansal says that does not mean the virus has gone away.

Dr. Bansal said the Covid-19 virus is very much around and spreading throughout the population, but it appears most Texans are starting to relax their defenses, and that can help the virus spread faster and infect more people.

“I see many people not wearing their masks or keeping a safe distance as instructed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That is a grave mistake that will allow new COVID variants to take root and spread very quickly,” he said.

The CDC recently reported that the number of cases and hospitalizations from COVID in the U.S. has increased in the past month. The CDC’s monthly moving average for Texas shows that nearly 20,000 Texans are currently infected, while 68 have died.

 

“I see many people not wearing their masks or keeping a safe distance as instructed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That will allow the new variants to take root and spread very quickly.”

 

Dr. Bansal reminded Texans that the areas where people have relaxed their guards are the places that have seen a resurgence in the rate of infections.

“What we have seen is that in the areas where people have relaxed, those same areas have witnessed a resurgence in infections and death. We need to be mindful of that, especially now that we are heading into the summer,” he said.

“People want to get out to the beaches and parties, but that could become super spreader events unless everyone is being cautious. So, it is essential for us to continue to follow the CDC guidelines and not relax our guard,” Dr. Bansal added.

The SignatureCare Emergency Center board-certified ER physician urged unvaccinated Texans to consider getting vaccinated.

“It may seem that in the current climate, getting vaccinated is no longer a priority for many Texans, but getting vaccinated is the single most important step you can take to protect yourself and your family. If you are vaccinated but not boosted, it is also good to get your booster shots as quickly as possible,” Dr. Bansal said.

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He said that if the U.S. continues to see this upward trend in infections going into the fall and winter seasons, we may be back to where we were earlier.

“Most people still remember how bad it was just a few months ago, how the hospitals were almost overwhelmed with sick people. We do not want a repeat of that. So far, over one million Americans have died from this virus, so we must continue to exercise caution,” he added.

SignatureCare Emergency Center ERs are open 24 hours throughout Texas and can evaluate COVID cases. No appointments are necessary to see one of our board-certified physicians.

SignatureCare Emergency Center owns 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas, including nine emergency room locations in Houston, TX area (Montrose, Houston Heights, Cypress/FM 1960, Copperfield, Memorial City, Westchase, Bellaire, Mission Bend/Sugar Land, and Stafford), Atascocita/Humble, Killeen, Austin, College Station/Bryan, Paris, Midland, Odessa, Texarkana, Spring, Plano, and Lewisville, TX.