Overman: “God Bless Teachers and School Nurses, This Is Going to Get Worse”

Former Comal County Health Authority and family practitioner Dr. Dorothy Overman said Sunday the number of COVID-19 cases in Comal County far exceeds official counts and urged the public to be kind to weary medical staff as the virus tightens its grip on the area.

On her Facebook page, New Braunfels COVID 19 Community Info, she posted:

“The reality of cases numbers. There are many more cases than what is reported. I would say at least 10 times as many. We have never had this many active cases.

“The county reports the positive PCR tests (confirmed cases). And the positive antigen tests (probable cases).

“They are not counted more than once if they have more than one test. They are reported by name and that is checked by the county and the state.

“What is not counted:

“All the people with mild symptoms who never get a test. All the asymptomatic cases who never get a test.

“All the tests done at home. So many people are buying their own tests. In families, they tell me only one got a test but the whole family is sick. The rest of the family is not counted.

“So many active cases but that number is very low from the real number of cases.

“In primary care we are getting more calls than ever about COVID cases. Now we are seeing sick children since school started.

“We need to be more careful than ever.

“Get tested if you have exposure or symptoms. Talk to a medical provider for treatment.

“Follow the isolation and quarantine guidelines.

“Wear a mask. And keep that six feet of distance. Wash your hands.

“The Delta variant is so much more transmissible than the previous COVID variant that came through.

“Even people with vaccine may get it but the ones in the hospital are unvaccinated. Currently 98%!

“Death due to CVID is in unvaccinated. Still 99%.

“Be kind to all nurses, doctors and any medical staff. We are becoming very weary.

“God Bless teachers and school nurses.

“This is going to get worse before it gets better. We have most likely years to go until it is endemic and at a low level.”

ABOUT DR. OVERMAN

Dr. Dorothy Overman served as Comal County’s health authority for over 25 years and became the area’s most trusted source for information about COVID-19. She stepped down last November due to workload in her family practice, Hill Country Medical Associates, now Christus Trinity Clinic.

As a consultant to the county, she worked with the Office of Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services on diseases affecting the community, disease prevention, public education, sheltering of evacuees and disaster preparedness.

She posts regular updates about COVID-19 in Comal County on her Facebook page, New Braunfels COVID19 Community Info.