Southern Colorado hospital sees ‘slight uptick’ in COVID-19 cases as kids return to class

COLORADO (KRDO) -- As the 2023-2024 school year starts for students in Southern Colorado, UCHealth is watching a "slight uptick" in COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the medical community nationwide is monitoring COVID-19 trends in the Southern Hemisphere to prepare for what could be a surge in the U.S. this fall.

Dr. Michelle Barron, Senior Director of Infection Prevention and Control for UCHealth, said it's natural for viruses to circulate as kids head back and pack into classrooms. She said this year, COVID-19 will be in that mix.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) updates its COVID-19 Data Dashboard every Wednesday.

It shows a slight upward trend in COVID-19 cases at the end of July, and Dr. Barron said UCHealth has seen a small increase over the past few weeks.

However, the slight increase is not something Dr. Barron finds startling.

"The way I think about public health is public, right?" said Barron. "It's everybody, and so the more people that are protected by whatever means they're choosing to do so, the less likely your household is to get sick, less likelihood that the people that are vulnerable, that are in your household or in your circle are less likely to catch it."

Barron encouraged parents to teach their kids good hygiene habits for cleaning materials at school.

She also reminded the public that though kids are not a high-risk population, they can carry viruses to vulnerable populations at home.

CDPHE will update case totals Wednesday on this dashboard.