CONROE, TX – Conroe Independent School District (CISD) is reporting a significant surge in both influenza and COVID-19 cases across its campuses, with numbers for November approaching totals seen throughout the entire previous school year, just weeks before students dismiss for winter break.
The district recorded 2,746 flu cases during the first 28 days of November alone. This figure stands in stark contrast to the 3,028 flu cases reported for the *entire* 2022-2023 school year, indicating an exceptionally active flu season unfolding rapidly within the district.
COVID-19 cases have also seen a noticeable increase in the same timeframe. CISD reported 215 COVID-19 cases in the first 28 days of November. While this is approximately half of the 412 total cases reported for the entire previous school year, it represents a substantial monthly jump.
Lisa Meeks, Conroe ISD's Health Services Director, is urging families and staff to take preventive measures to help curb the spread of illness. "We cannot emphasize enough the importance of basic health hygiene: thorough hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when feeling sick," Meeks stated. She specifically highlighted the critical role sick students play in transmission, stressing that keeping them home is essential to prevent further spread within classrooms and across campuses. Meeks also recommended considering vaccination for both flu and COVID-19.
On a broader scale, the Texas Department of State Health Services' (DSHS) flu report for the week ending November 18, 2023, indicated high flu activity across the entire state. Despite the district's rise in COVID-19 cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its data on November 24, 2023, to reflect that Montgomery County, where Conroe ISD is located, remains at a low COVID-19 community level.
