Did You Know The Omicron Variant Stays On Surfaces Longer?

As the United States is in its second year of the COVID-19 pandemic which has left 950,000 people dead, there is still new information that is coming out.

Let's Look At The Numbers

For starters, the numbers have been drastically dropping in Bell County.

We are currently at a Level 3 Moderate Controlled Transmission, which means the virus is controlled here in Bell County and as of yesterday 3-18-2022, there are only 102 active cases.

Masks And Social Distancing

Wearing a mask and social distancing isn't an option anymore in stores and businesses and with the numbers, dropping doesn't expect those mandates to come back anytime soon.

To my knowledge, the only places in Texas where you are required to wear a mask are at the airports.

Is The COVID-19 pandemic over?

If you look at the numbers nationwide, I would say yes.

According to the CDC's website, at this time back in January, there were 411,000 new cases of COVID.

Today, as of March 18th there were just over 36,000 active cases of COVID nationwide.

New Information About The Omicron Variant

According to KWTX, the Omicron Variant stays on surfaces longer than the other COVID variants.

According to the report, you are more likely to get infected by inhaling the virus than by touching a surface, so you shouldn't be that worried about it.

But the research did show that the variant stays on surfaces like plastic and skin 3 times as long.

No need to be concerned as long as we continue to take the necessary steps of washing our hands and cleaning surfaces frequently everything should be fine.

Have You Had Any Of This Recalled Beef Jerky?

If you had beef jerky recently, or have a supply of jerky in your home you may want to trash it.

What’s Going On?

The USDA (Department of Agriculture) is putting out a recall on beef jerky products.

Last week, Boyd Specialties LLC, recalled over 1600 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky products that may be contaminated with listeria.

According to the announcement, there have been no confirmed reports of reactions due to the jerky and if anyone is concerned about an illness they should contact their healthcare provider.

The Food Service And Inspection Service suggests that if beef jerky is in your pantry or cabinets, it should be also thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

What is Listeria, And What Are The Effects Of It?

According to the announcement, listeria infection can be deadly to people with weakened immune systems, it also spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

It has been known to cause complications during pregnancy such as miscarriage, premature delivery, and life-threatening infections to the newborn,

Reportedly, it can also cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Is There A Cure, Can Listeriosis Be Treated?

According to the USDA announcement, Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics.

I know there are a lot of Texans who enjoy beef jerky and flavored beef jerky.

If I were you, I would take the advice of the United States Department Of Agriculture and wait to purchase jerky until there's an update.

Here are a list of jerky being recalled:

Here Are 10 Killeen Airbnb's To Check Out

Did you know that Killeen had some nice AirBnb's?? Here are a few to check out and recommend to others that come to Texas to visit you!

Here Are 10 Cool Central Texas AirBnB's You Should Check Out

If you are curious about what kind of Airbnb rentals this area has to offer take a few minutes of your time and check these out!

I was on Airbnb's website last week booking a place for relatives who are coming to visit and ran across a few really cool spots in Temple, Belton, Killeen, and Salado.

Filed Under: Bell County, COVID-19, Omicron variant, Texas, Trey the Choklit Jok

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