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More than 1,200 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Bexar County for the first time since January

KENS 5 is tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic as well as the vaccine efforts in San Antonio and across Texas.

SAN ANTONIO — 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 and state officials:

Bexar County (data as of Wednesday, August 11):

  • 1,949 additional COVID-positive cases were reported Wednesday; the seven-day moving average of new cases is 1,325 per day. The total number of cases rose to 256,582.
  • The county's death toll rose to 3,652 on Wednesday after nine deaths were reported. 
  • 42 additional patients were hospitalized in the last 24 hours; as of Wednesday, 1,284 patients are currently hospitalized. Of those, 194 are on ventilators and 331 are in intensive care. 

Texas (data as of Wednesday, August 11):

  • 17,898 cases were reported, including 14,214 new confirmed, 3,684 new probable, and 270 backlogged cases. More than 3.263 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
  • 112 additional deaths were reported, raising the statewide death toll from virus complications to 52,667.
  • 10,463 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized across Texas, as of Wednesday; that's 422 additional patients compared to Tuesday. 

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

Credit: KENS
Credit: KENS

At Tuesday evening's COVID-19 response briefing, Metro Health Director Claude Jacob called the delta variant a "game-changer," particularly with so many Texans still unvaccinated. 

"This virus is a lot more infectious, a lot more contagious than the original strain," he added. 

Meanwhile, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said some 99% of new cases can be attributed to the delta variant. 

Vaccine Progress in Bexar County

The following numbers are provided by San Antonio Metro Health. A full breakdown can be found here.

  • 1,307,836 Bexar County residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, representing 78.7 percent of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
  • 1,068,392 Bexar County residents are fully vaccinated, representing 64.3 percent of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
  • 239,444 Bexar County residents have not yet received their second vaccine dose.
Credit: KENS

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."

The City of San Antonio breaks down the vaccination rates by zip code on Metro Health's Vaccination Statistics page.

Across Texas, 12.908 million residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In total, the state has administered 27.198 million vaccine doses, as of August 10. Texas is in the middle of the pack among the rest of the states, with between 41 to 57 percent of its population fully vaccinated, as of August 9:

Credit: TEGNA

Progress and Warning Indicators

Bexar County's positivity rate rose by 1.6 percentage points, to 21.4%, as of August 10. 

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.

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