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: 238 new cases were reported Saturday, bringing the total number of cases for the county to 67,365. No new deaths were reported, keeping the death toll at 1,273.
- Comal County: The county reported 28 new COVID-19 cases Friday morning, as well as nine backlogged diagnoses. One new virus-related death was also reported. There have been a total of 3,881 reported cases of COVID-19 in the county – including 2,927 lab-confirmed cases – while 122 county residents have died. County officials say there are 173 active coronavirus cases, and 3,623 residents are considered recovered.
- Hays County: Officials in Hays County on Friday reported 18 new cases in the county and no additional virus-related deaths. As of Friday, there are a total of 6,331 lab-confirmed cases in the county (368 of which are active), while the death toll remained at 91. 5,872 residents have recovered from the virus.
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 Saturday, Metro Health updated its online coronavirus dashboards to reflect an additional 238 coronavirus cases in Bexar County—the highest local diagnosis total since 298 were reported Tuesday. At least 67,365 county residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 during the pandemic.
For the first time since Tuesday, no new local deaths were reported. The Bexar County death toll from coronavirus complications remains at 1,273.
Hospitalizations in the county continued to rise on Saturday, with 261 COVID-19 patients admitted to local facilities. That's eight more overall from Friday; however, it's unclear how many of those patients are from El Paso, a region which has been particularly devastated by the virus in recent weeks. On Friday, local leaders said that 46 of 253 patients were from the west Texas city.
Both the number of patients on ventilators (39) and in intensive care (107) are down from Friday's figures.
Coronavirus in Texas
The number of Texans who have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began grew by 8,010 on Saturday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
7,677 of those are new diagnoses over the last 24 hours, while another 333 cases stem from a number of backlogs in several counties. More details can be found at the top of this page.
As of Thursday, at least 950,549 Texans have contracted COVID-19.
State health authorities also reported 111 additional virus-related deaths on Saturday. At least 18,700 Texans have passed away from COVID-19 complications.
Meanwhile, the overall number of Texans hospitalized for COVID-19 on Saturday dropped by just two. However, the first week of November has continued a troubling trend reflecting a resurgence of COVID-19 spread in the Lone Star State that began in October; since Oct. 1, the number of Texas hospitalizations has spiked by 90.2%. On Saturday, a total of 6,068 Texas residents were receiving treatment.
Experts attribute the recent spike in COVID-19 numbers to "pandemic fatigue."
The state estimates that 811,330 Texans have recovered, while 122,845 Texans remain ill with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the latest update from the Texas Education Agency showed that there have been 31,987 cumulative cases among staff and students across the state through Nov. 1. More information can be found here.
The TEA releases new data on school cases every Thursday.
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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.
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.