Smith County data: January COVID cases 35% higher than previous record

Published 5:30 pm Monday, January 31, 2022

COVID-positive cases in Smith County reported in January were 35% higher than a previous pandemic-high monthly record, public health data show.

Additionally, Tyler hospitals are near a peak high of patient hospitalizations.

Data released Monday by the Northeast Public Health District show a total of 11,244 cases reported from Jan. 1 to Monday. A week ago, Smith County surpassed a pandemic high of new COVID-19 cases in a single month since NET Health began reporting data in September 2020. The previous pandemic high of new virus cases was September 2021, when the county saw a total of 8,351 new cases, according to NET Health.

January’s new COVID cases in the county topped the previous record by 2,893 new cases.

Comparatively, there were 1,382 new cases reported in December and 504 new cases in November, according to NET Health.

Monday’s report also shows Tyler hospitals are nearing a pandemic peak of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds. NET Health reported 325 East Texans treated for COVID-19 at Tyler hospitals, 45 more than those reported Thursday. The previous peak of hospitalizations was in September 2021 when that number reached 389.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s 19-county Trauma Region G, which includes Tyler and Longview, also continues to increase. On Monday, 501 patients were hospitalized in the region, an increase of four since Thursday’s report. Hospitalizations include 120 patients in ICUs and 69 patients on ventilators. In the first half of September, hospitalizations reached 822, the highest number of single-day COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region since the pandemic began.

Monday’s report shows active cases in Smith County are up over 10%, now at 12,125 compared to 11,021 reported Thursday. A week ago, there were 9,747 active cases in the county.

NET Health also reported 1,110 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the county since Thursday. Of those, 505 are confirmed and 605 are probable. NET Health defines probable cases as those that are attributed to patients who have received positive antigen tests, until the person has been administered a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. If a person’s PCR laboratory result is positive, that becomes a confirmed case.

NET Health also reported a 9% drop in community transmission levels in Smith County, according to data released Monday.

The previously reported community spread level of the virus on Thursday was 160.74. Monday’s report shows the county’s community spread level is now at 145.75.

Smith County has the highest rate of community spread levels among counties covered by NET Health behind Wood County, which is currently seeing a level of 115.12. The NET Health county with the lowest community spread level is Rains County at 53.65.

As of Monday in Smith County, 55.02% of people age 5 and older had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 48.37% of people age 5 and older had been fully vaccinated, according to the state. State data shows 85.78% of people 65 and older in the county had been vaccinated with at least one dose as of Monday, while 79.23% of that population had been fully vaccinated. As of Nov. 4, children 5 to 11 years of age are included in vaccination numbers and rates.

At the Smith County Jail as of Monday, 12 inmates had an active diagnosis of COVID-19, and one inmate has died due to COVID-19, according to NET Health. The Smith County Jail recently announced it suspended in-person visitation due to the recent uptick in cases.

There have been 49,849 total COVID-19 cases in Smith County since the pandemic began and 37,296 total recoveries, according to NET Health.

Other counties

Gregg County had 475 new cases — 230 confirmed, 245 probable — reported since Thursday. There were 4,673 total active cases within the county.

Henderson County had 269 new cases — 189 confirmed, 80 probable — reported since Thursday. There were 2,285 total active cases within the county.

Van Zandt County had 211 new cases — 105 confirmed, 106 probable — reported since Thursday. There were 2,115 total active cases within the county.

Anderson County had 123 new cases — 27 confirmed, 96 probable — reported since Thursday. There were 1,206 total active cases within the county.

Wood County had 171 new cases — 112 confirmed, 59 probable — reported since Thursday. There were 1,580 total active cases within the county.

Rains County had 30 new cases — 17 confirmed, 13 probable — reported since Thursday and there were 307 total active cases within the county.

Total recoveries and total active cases include probable and confirmed data. Data gathered in Monday’s report represents data from noon Thursday to noon Monday.