Harris Health System reports zero COVID patients at LBJ Hospital for first time since pandemic began

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris Well being System on Friday reported that LBJ Hospital had no COVID sufferers for the primary time for the reason that pandemic started in March 2020.

“In the present day is certainly a GOOD FRIDAY,” the well being system mentioned in a Tweet.

As of April 15, knowledge from Harris County Public Well being (HCPH) and the Houston Well being Division (HHD) reveals there are 14,240 energetic instances within the county.

Extra details about Harris County COVID-19 knowledge may be discovered on HCPH’s web site.

Moreover, two new COVID subvariants have been detected in Houston, based on docs at Houston Methodist. On April 15, docs mentioned they discovered 83 instances of the BA.2.12 variant and three instances of BA.2.12.1 variant. 

These are the so-called stealth subvariants of omicron, which is the pressure of the virus that precipitated a report variety of instances final winter. 

Whereas they’re inflicting elevated unfold in New York and components of Europe, instances in Houston stay very low.

Two COVID subvariants detected in Houston; instances stay low, Houston Methodist says

As case numbers keep low, in the intervening time, some Houston space hospitals are looking at their masks insurance policies.

On April 4, Houston Methodist Hospital turned the primary main hospital within the space to loosen up its masks coverage.

In line with Houston Methodist Hospital, sufferers and workers not have to put on masks inside a few of its public areas. Masks are nonetheless required for employees whereas caring for sufferers and in physician’s ready rooms. Sufferers are “extremely inspired” to put on them there too. 

Some consultants have been vital of the choice, however the hospital mentioned it is able to pivot and tighten its masks insurance policies once more ought to the necessity come up.

Houston Methodist Hospital relaxes masks coverage