COVID-19 Positivity Rate in Texas Plummets

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Is it time to get back to normal? The type of normal we enjoyed more than two years ago? According to the data, the answer might just be, "yes!"

Over the last month we haven't really heard much about COVID-19 in Lubbock or throughout Texas. We've heard that cases could pick up if a new variant spreads, but so far we haven't seen that variant in Texas.

In fact, new COVID-19 cases in Texas have dropped to some of the lowest levels we have seen during the pandemic. According to The Texan, in January the state saw a huge spike in the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests during the omicron surge. Since that dramatic spike in cases, the number of new COVID-19 cases has dropped dramatically.

The Department of State Health Services divides cases and statistics by the different tests performed. For example, the molecular and antigen tests, according to The Texan News:

The positivity rate for molecular tests has generally stayed above four percent with the exception of the months between the vaccine rollout in early 2021 and July 2021 when cases of the Delta variant began spreading.

In June 2021, the positivity rate for molecular tests reached an all-time low of 2.83 percent.

Now, the metric has reached a new low of 2.18 percent.

Likewise, the positivity rate for antigen tests has reached a new low of 1.44 percent, with the previous low of 1.95 percent occurring in June 2021.

While the two types of tests have followed similar trends throughout the pandemic, the positivity rate has typically been higher for molecular tests.

The positivity rate for molecular tests has seen five previous peaks: 12 percent in March 2020, 21 percent in July 2020, 21 percent in January 2021, 19 percent in July 2021, and 36 percent in January 2022.

This is all good news for Texas and for those still worried about COVID-19 right now. It shows that we can get back to normal. You know, the normal before the pandemic? It seems as though you're just as likely to catch a cold or have bad allergies right now than you are to catching COVID-19.