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: 151 new cases were reported Wednesday, bringing the total number for the county to 47,887. The county death toll, meanwhile, rose to 981 after two new fatalities were reported.
- Comal County: The county reported 12 additional cases and two additional deaths Thursday. There have been a total of 3,128 cases of COVID-19 in the county – including 2,493 confirmed cases – while 114 county residents have died. County officials say there are 308 active coronavirus cases, and 2,706 residents are considered recovered.
- Hays County: Officials in Hays County on Wednesday reported 34 new cases in the county and no additional virus-related deaths. As of Wednesday, there are a total of 5,560 lab-confirmed cases in the county (1,953 of which are active) while the death toll stands at 51. 3,556 are considered recovered.
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 Wednesday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported 151 new coronavirus cases in Bexar County. That brings the total to 47,887 since the pandemic began.
Nirenberg also reported two new virus-related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total to 981.
Hospitalizations continue to drop for the county. On Wednesday, Bexar County reported 298 hospitalized for COVID-19. The number of patients in intensive care (130) fell slightly and the number of patients using ventilators (84) fell as well. Wednesday marked the first day hospitalization numbers were below 300 since June 18.
Wednesday, Mayor Nirenberg categorized the school risk level as "moderate, saying that city officials need to see positivity rate drop below 5% before the school risk level moved into the "green zone".
On Tuesday, Nirenberg said that the risk level in the county had lowered into the safe-to-moderate range after weeks of progress.
Nirenberg said that the county had reached a sustained two-week decline, which is a good sign, but he stressed that the pandemic is not over and people must remain vigilant.
The positivity rate is down again to 6.7%, moving toward the goal of 5%. The number of days it takes to double the number of cases in the community is now 65.
Nirenberg attributed the positive trends in part to social distancing efforts, masks, and other efforts, and asked citizens to continue taking these precautions.
"The word 'safe' is not an excuse to let the past few months of hard work go to waste," he said. "We saw that happen earlier in the summer."
Coronavirus in Texas
The Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday reported an additional 4,285 cases of the novel coronavirus across the state. The state said five older cases recently reported by Nueces County labs were included in Wednesday's statewide total but not reflected in the day's newly confirmed cases number report.
As of Wednesday, at least 645,791 Texans have been infected with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the state also reported an additional 139 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 13,692.
558,894 Texans have recovered from the coronavirus, while an estimated 73,205 cases remain active.
The number of patients currently in Texas hospitals dropped by about 100 to 3,604 on Wednesday. Of the 54,080 staffed hospital beds in Texas, 12,985 -- about 24% -- are available.
As the school year begins to get underway for local districts, we are also keeping track of the most important updates for each, including links to dashboards created to track coronavirus cases.
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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.
On June 25, the CDC expanded the list of groups at a higher risk of severe illness due to coronavirus.
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.