Number of COVID cases increased in Craighead County

Little Rock, Arkansas – It’s possible that the increase in COVID cases in Craighead County is due to a contagious subtype of the virus.

On the website of the Arkansas Department of Health, it is stated that Craighead County is one of the counties that has a total of 201 cases, making it one of the counties with the most recent cases.

Dr. Tasha Starks, who works in Physician Marketing at St. Bernard’s, believes that the increase in part can be attributed to the fact that it is the holiday season. She mentioned that one should always anticipate a rise after the holidays.

One more explanation is that a variant of the virus known as XBB.1.5, also known as Kraken, is currently spreading throughout the county.

“It’s not causing any increase, particularly in deaths, but it is much more contagious. So that may be another reason why we’re seeing increased numbers again after the holidays,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that both the number of cases and hospitalizations are on the decline nationwide.

Dr. Starks recommended that individuals should still think about getting the vaccine and wearing masks, despite the fact that the variant is not necessarily increasing the number of fatalities.