CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi - Nueces County Health District said there are about 400 active COVID-19 cases that have been reported to them, but they're could be more.
Officials with the district said that because at-home tests are not reported to them, the full number of active COVID-19 cases is not clear.
In order to bridge that gap in numbers, the district is asking the community to report their positive at-home test results to the health department.
"These are the cases that are reported to us, so all the tests that people do at home, they do not report to us, so our numbers are less than what they should be," said Health District Director Dr. Fauzia Khan.
Khan said that having an accurate account of cases helps the district get a better picture of the infection rate. This way, they know how to minimize the spread.
"We can see what the situation is for the entire county. If the numbers are increasing, if the numbers are decreasing and how we can provide services and what are the zip codes where the numbers are increasing," Khan said.
With freezing weather and Christmas happening at the same time, Khan expects the number of positive cases to go up.
"We may see an increase in the number of cases between 7-14 days and it is based on the incubation period of the virus," Khan said. "The incubation period is when you're exposed to the virus and when you exhibit symptoms."
Since COVID-19, the flu and the common cold have very similar symptoms, Khan said that when residents experience any of them -- it's best to get tested.
Cough, fever, headache, tiredness. It's really difficult to differentiate the difference between the two just based off of symptoms alone," Khan said.
If residents do test positive, they are encouraged to isolate and report their results to the district online. Khan said that there are a number of measures that residents can take to prevent the illness altogether.
"Covering our cough and sneeze, making sure you self-isolate if you are having symptoms, you do need to stay home and avoid the parties if you're not feeling well," Khan said. "Areas of high frequency touch, we need to make sure that we're cleaning them frequently."
If residents need to self report their positive test, click here.
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