‘I really do feel hopeful’: El Paso infectious disease specialist discusses pandemic outlook this spring
EL PASO, Texas -- While hundreds of El Pasoans continue to test positive for Covid-19, the number of new cases is starting to decline. That could mean that in the coming weeks the Borderland will be past our omicron surge.
Local infectious disease specialist, Dr. Ogechika Alozie, said this wave could change how we approach the virus moving forward.
"We've been through a lot," Dr. Alozie said "This is year three of Covid-19. I really do feel hopeful and as much as we're about to get hit by an Omicron wave that three months from now, this will feel very different."
Dr. Alozie said he thinks this wave of omicron cases will likely create a high immunity in El Paso in the next few months adding that the way we approach this virus, will be individually based.
Based of city data, in the week ending on Jan. 24, there were 13,786 new weekly cases. For the week ending on Jan 31, there were 9,692 new cases indicating that El Paso may have hit its peak.
Dr. Alozie said that a big advantage now is that there are new medications and therapeutics we didn't have before. That will also change how we could approach a new variant.
"There may be times when we have another surge, maybe another variant where people say 'where's that mask that I put away? Let me go get it,'" Alozie said. "But I believe by this spring into this summer, you're going to see a very different community. And I think that's going to spread across the country. Now there are going to be people who just refuse to believe that Covid will ever go and I think that's okay too. But it's going to be an individual level decision not a societal level decision."
During a city council meeting Monday, Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza said the rest of the state already hit its peak of Omicron cases, a hopeful sign that El Paso is just weeks behind.
City officials are also encouraging El Pasoans to get their booster shot. You can schedule an appointment by clicking here.
