LA FERIA — As the pandemic’s second year grinded to an end here, hundreds waited in lines stretching about a half-mile-long to test for COVID-19 as the fast-spreading omicron variant spiked cases to record numbers.

For many who tested negative, health officials blamed their symptoms on the common cold or the flu — influenza, the centuries-old virus leading to thousands of U.S. deaths every year.

As the New Year opens, the omicron variant is exploding during flu season as officials brace for what could become a deadly winter.

Now, they’re urging residents to take two vaccines — for COVID and flu.

“Early in the fall, we encouraged people to take both vaccines — COVID and flu vaccines,” Josh Ramirez, Harlingen’s health director, said, referring to COVID-19 vaccines and the flu shot.

Surging COVID-19 cases

By Thursday, the omicron variant was driving COVID-19 cases to record levels around parts of the country and across much of the world.

In Cameron County, the numbers of confirmed cases were on the edge of exploding.

“If you see all the testing and the long lines, lots of tests are going to yield more cases,” Dr. James Castillo, the county’s health authority, said, predicting the dominant omicron strain would spawn more infections than the delta variant.

At the county’s health department, officials hadn’t caught up with the flood of incoming test results, with Thursday’s daily report confirming 75 new COVID-19 cases.

However, Hidalgo County officials are reporting the numbers of confirmed new cases there soared from 67 on Tuesday to 400 on Wednesday.

By Thursday, officials had confirmed 600 more cases.

“The omicron variant tends to double the number of cases every three days,” Castillo said. “The surge of cases looks like the numbers will be higher than delta. The question is will it increase hospitalizations.”

Testing workers Enika Marquez, Yolanda Aleman and Edwin Orriols prepare the site and put on their PPE Thursday before starting the day’s COVID-19 testing at the Cameron County Precinct 4 Warehouse in La Feria. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

Holiday gatherings ignite new cases

As the omicron strain spread into the area, family gatherings helped spawn the explosion of new COVID-19 cases, Ramirez said.

“One of the most likely exposures was during the Christmas holidays,” he said.

This weekend, he said, health officials are bracing for New Year’s Eve parties to further ignite the surge.

On edge

The omicron variant’s rapid spread has heightened a level of tension many residents haven’t sensed since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic here in March 2020.

“It’s not so much a panic as it is awareness,” Ramirez said. “People are reacting to the awareness of the disease that is spreading so fast. There’s a lot more cases so there’s that potential. It’s a proactive approach. It’s good to see.”

Viral mix

Amid the flu season, the viral mix is stirring mayhem.

While the omicron variant is infecting many residents, others are confusing flu and cold symptoms with the signs of COVID-19.

“Some are truly COVID cases,” Ramirez said. “Some are coming out negative with symptoms of flu or cold. I’m sure the numbers of flu are just as high as COVID numbers.”

Testing rush

Across the area, pharmacies were running out of COVID-19 home test kits selling for about $40.

“As soon as we get them, we’re out of them,” Thomas Garza, a pharmacist at the family-owned Medicine Shoppe in San Benito, said. “We’re having a hard time procuring them.”

A line of cars stretches out of the drive and onto the street Thursday for COVID-19 testing at the Cameron County Precinct 4 Warehouse in La Feria, Texas.(Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

Many residents were setting testing appointments at chain-store pharmacies like CVS.

At Muñiz Rio Grande Valley Pharmacy in Harlingen, they were paying $50 for rapid antigen tests.

By Tuesday, Cameron County health officials were opening free drive-thru testing centers at precinct warehouses in La Feria and Brownsville.

“We were receiving lots of calls requesting testing,” Rolando Casas, the county’s assistant emergency management coordinator, said. “We were getting calls from constituents who weren’t able to pay (pharmacy prices).”

By late Wednesday afternoon, health officials had tested a total of 894 residents, Casas said, adding Thursday’s totals weren’t readily available.

“It’s been steady,” he said at the La Feria site as cars lined up across a half-mile stretch of White Ranch Road. “Come one, come all. We want them to know (if they test positive) to isolate themselves and stop spreading, knowing this variant spreads so easily.”


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