After a Summer lull, area clinics are seeing a spike in COVID cases again

The Golden Triangle is seeing more cases of the latest strand of Covid-19 called "Kraken."

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Golden Triangle is seeing more cases of the latest strand of COVID-19 called “Kraken.”

According to the CDC, Lowndes, Clay, Oktibbeha, and Noxubee counties have some of the highest cases in the country.

Judy Trenary is a Nurse Practitioner at Weekends Plus Urgent Care. She sees a link between the rise and students returning to school.

“Especially since school has started. schools here in Lowndes County, but also the colleges Mississippi University for Women and of course Mississippi State,” Trenary said. “I think it pretty much seemed to increase for us after kids were going to camps and things towards the end of the summer.”

So far, that rise in cases isn’t turning into more trips to the hospital.

“In ’20 and ’21, we had a lot of hospitalizations and so did everyone else in the area,” Trenary said. “I have not had a patient that has ended up in the hospital with it.”

Of course, there are plenty of ways to try and prevent becoming sick. Washing your hands and staying at home are easy ways to try and stop the spread.

“The CDC recommends that everyone get the boosters but high-risk people especially definitely should consider it,” Trenary said. “Talk with your primary care provider and make that decision.”

They also recommend testing at home if you are showing symptoms.

Nurse practitioner Lisa Dement says there is a ray of hope even though we continue to see new strains of the disease.

“With each variant, they seem to be a little bit different and a little less severe,” Dement said.

For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter