Bexar County's Vaccine Progress: More than 32% of residents have received at least one dose

SAN ANTONIO — We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic as well as the vaccine efforts in San Antonio and across Texas.

Need a vaccine appointment? Click here for the latest information on local vaccine distribution with our ongoing Vaccine Tracker.

Latest Coronavirus Numbers

Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar County officials, as of Thursday, April 1. 

Bexar County:

• 249 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 205,777.
• 2 new deaths were reported; the county's death remains at 3,152. 
• 185 patients currently hospitalized; 32 patients are on ventilators and 75 are in intensive care.
  

Texas (data as of Sunday, April 4):

• 1,714 cases reported, including 1,465 new confirmed, 219 new probable, and 30 backlogged cases. More than 2.791 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began
• 21 additional deaths were reported, raising the statewide death toll from virus complications to 47,746.
• 2,817 Texans were hospitalized Saturday, which is down slightly from the previous day.

More county case information is available through the Texas Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.

Vaccine Progress in Bexar County

Across Bexar County, more than 780,000 vaccine doses have been administered, as of April 1. 

•  91,167 vaccines were administered the week of March 22 - March 28 in Bexar County; a total of 780,857 doses have been administered in the county since vaccination efforts began 15 weeks ago.
• 496,642 Bexar County residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, representing 32% of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
• 294,158 Bexar County residents are fully vaccinated, representing 18.9% of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
• 202,484 Bexar County residents (13%) are awaiting their second vaccine dose.

DSHS defines "population" as residents who are 16 years of age or older; in Bexar County, this represents more than 1.55 million people. The CDC states that "when a high percentage of the community is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness)," that community will have reached herd immunity, "making the spread of this disease from person to person unlikely."

91,167 vaccines were administered last week in Bexar County; a total of 780,857  doses have been administered in the county since vaccination efforts began 15 weeks ago.

Across Texas, 4.1 million residents are fully vaccinated. In total, the state has administered 11.4 million vaccine doses, as of April 1. Texas is one of six states with less than 15% of its population fully vaccinated, as of March 31:

Bexar County COVID-19 Trends

This week's update of the Warning Signs and Progress Indicators for Bexar County saw Bexar County holding steady at the low-risk level. The positivity rate dropped to 2.1%, a decrease of 0.2% over the last week.

The county's seven-day moving average increased slightly, from 184 on Wednesday to 190 on Thursday. 

The number of COVID-19 patients receiving treatments at area hospitals dropped by five in the last 24 hours, to 185. Of those, 74 patients are in intensive care, and 32 are on ventilators (both figures are up over Wednesday). 

Latest Coronavirus Headlines

Coronavirus symptoms

The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.

But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.

Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:

• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
• Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.

Human coronaviruses are usually spread... 

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
• Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

Help stop the spread of coronavirus

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Eat and sleep separately from your family members
• Use different utensils and dishes
• Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
• If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.

Find a Testing Location

City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

A self-screening tool is available to see if you need a test.

Here's a Testing Sites Locator to help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.