Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has released a new COVID-19 Response and Surveillance Report detailing the county’s COVID-19 and Long COVID trends from 2020 to 2023. The report highlights continued declines in overall COVID-19 activity alongside a steady increase in Long COVID cases, underscoring the ongoing need for public health monitoring, community awareness, and supportive services.

From 2020-2023, Harris County reported 1,026,688 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 15,030 hospitalizations. Overall, COVID-19 indicators show a downward trend in recent years, even as federal pandemic-era reporting requirements for hospitalizations and emergency department visits ended in 2023 and 2024.    

While COVID-19 cases have declined, Long COVID continues to rise, affecting community members with respiratory, neurological, cardiovascular, and other long-term symptoms. Long COVID often interferes with daily life and may require ongoing care.

Key FindingsDownward trend in COVID-19 activity: COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits have declined across Harris County in 2023–2025.Hospitalization reporting changes: Statewide hospitalization and emergency department COVID-19 reporting ended in May 2023, with hospital reporting following in April 2024, impacting future data availability.Rising Long COVID prevalence: Long COVID counts continue to increase, reflecting persistent symptoms among community members and continued demand for long-term care, rehabilitation, and support resources.Public Health Actions

HCPH is strengthening its pandemic response efforts to better understand and address the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Initiatives include:

Long COVID Monitoring and Self-Reporting: HCPH has implemented a self-reporting tool and continues to track Long COVID symptoms and trends in partnership with community healthcare organizations.Improved Data Integration and Dashboards: The department is developing new tools to share accurate, accessible COVID-19 and Long COVID data with community members, decision-makers, and community stakeholders.Enhanced Communication and Outreach: HCPH is expanding public information resources to help community members understand Long COVID risks, identify symptoms, and access available care and support.

Harris County Public Health continues to collaborate with local hospitals, city and county partners, and state and federal agencies to ensure accurate surveillance, equitable access to services, and coordinated response efforts.

HCPH encourages community members, healthcare providers, and community leaders to stay informed and work together to support prevention, early detection, and recovery from both COVID-19 and Long COVID. The COVID report isn’t about rehashing the pandemic. It’s about accountability, preparedness, and documenting the capacity built that now supports measles response, TB investigations, and other public health priorities. If lessons learned and outcomes aren’t captured now, institutional memory will be lost and there’s a risk of repeating preventable gaps during the next emergency. 

Residents are invited to join a free and informative webinar designed to inform county leadership, medical partners, and the community at large on the state of COVID-19 in the region. The webinar will be showcasing HCPH’s latest activities and the official COVID-19 report, which details the history of the pandemic, local trends, and the current situation. Register at https://bit.ly/COVIDReportWebinar2026.

To read the full COVID-19 Response and Surveillance Report, visit publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/Media/Reports.