SAN ANTONIO — We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio and across Texas. Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar and surrounding counties:
- Bexar County: On Friday, 158 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 199,589. Three new deaths were also reported, raising the local death toll from virus complications to 2,864.
- Hays County: On Friday, officials reported 17 new cases in the county and one additional COVID-related fatality. There is now a total of 16,668 lab-confirmed local cases, while the death toll increased to 232. Officials estimate 15,990 residents have recovered, while 446 are still ill with the virus.
- Comal County: Officials reported 39 new cases on Friday, along with no additional virus-related deaths. As of Friday, 9,419 total COVID-19 cases have been reported, including 4,955 confirmed and 4,443 probable cases, while 298 county residents have died due to COVID-19 complications.
More county case information is available through the Texas Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
How Bexar County is trending
We've tracked how many coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Bexar County from the time officials began reporting cases in March 2020. The graphic below shows the number of cases since June and charts those daily case numbers along a 7-day moving average to provide a more accurate picture of the overall coronavirus case curve in our area and the direction we're trending amid the pandemic.
On Friday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported an additional 158 coronavirus cases in Bexar County, which is less than half of Thursday's new diagnosis total (366). The seven-day rolling case average has dropped from 186 to 168 with the lower count, and 199,589 Bexar County residents in all have been diagnosed.
Nirenberg also reported three additional virus-related deaths in the county, bringing the local death toll to 2,864.
Hospitalizations, meanwhile, continue to fall in the community. On Friday, the number of COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at local facilities was 237, which is three fewer than on Thursday.
Of those 237 patients, 61 are using ventilators and 97 are in intensive care.
Coronavirus in Texas
The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 6,505 on Friday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 4,650 new confirmed cases, 1,428 new probable cases, and a backlog of 427 cases. More details can be found on this page.
Friday's figures bring the total number of Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 to more than 2.71 million.
Meanwhile, state health authorities reported an additional 212 deaths from coronavirus complications in Texas—the third straight day with at least that many fatalities. In all, 45,318 Texans have died from COVID-19 complications.
Following a drastic jump in statewide hospitalizations Tuesday, the number has decreased for the third day in a row, this time by 177 to 4,229 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment for their symptoms across the state, as of Friday. The last time the figure was that low was Oct. 18.
The state, meanwhile, estimates that about 2.54 million Texans have recovered, while 121,115 Texans remain ill with COVID-19.
The latest update from the Texas Education Agency showed that there have been at least 193,496 cumulative cases among staff and students on Texas public school campuses through March 7. That number comprises 126,154 positive student cases and 67,342 staff cases. More information can be found here.
The TEA typically releases new data on school cases on Fridays.
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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.
Here's a Testing Sites Locator to help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.