SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio doctor is hoping people don't consider hosting COVID and omicron parties again after Metro Health updated their online dashboard, upgrading the city's risk level to severe and reporting another daily increase of more than 4,000 positive coronavirus cases.
Dr. David Gude is the chief operating officer for Texas Med Clinic. He said early on in the pandemic, people were deliberately gathering together for "COVID parties" to see if they could infect one another with the infectious disease.
"I think that remains a, you know, a bad idea. More people going out and deliberately getting this, or accidentally getting exposed, whatever it is; it's putting a strain on the system and we're starting to see [the strain] even at the urgent care level," said Dr. Gude.
Dr. Gude hopes people will rely on COVID safe practices, instead, to get through this recent surge city officials believe is omicron-related.
"I think people need to up their game about the type of masks that they're wearing, and they should be using some kind of well-fitted filtration mask and not simply a cloth mask as the omicron is more contagious. It seems to spread more quickly, and there is growing evidence that using a cloth mask, while probably better than nothing, is not the optimal way to do it," he said.
Doctors are still pushing for more people to get vaccinated, even if you have already had COVID, saying it's the best defense.
"Those that are not vaccinated should become fully vaccinated, including booster shots as soon as possible," said Dr. Fred Campbell, an internal medicine specialist at UT Heath San Antonio.
If you still have questions about the coronavirus, both doctors suggested seeing your primary care physician.
Related links on KENS 5: