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COVID Tracker: Downward trend continues in Bexar County

Risk level in San Antonio remains "medium" – and "improving" as the number of new patients and hospitalizations continues to go down.

SAN ANTONIO — Coronavirus risk level in Bexar County remains "medium" – and "improving" as a downward trend in new cases and hospitalizations continues.

The seven-day moving average of new cases in the past week is 355 per day, down from 735 for the month of August and nearly 1,000 in July. That includes 230 infections reported by Metro Health on Tuesday, one of the lowest case counts in recent weeks. 

Hospitalizations have also continued to trend down. On Tuesday there were 164 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment in local hospitals, down 20 from this time last week. Of those 164 patients, 25 were in intensive care and five on ventilators. 

No new deaths were reported Tuesday, although Metro Health did record two virus-related fatalities in the community in the past week. At least 5,363 San Antonio-area residents have died from coronavirus complications while more than 639,000 infections have been reported. 

How Bexar County is trending

Credit: KENS 5
Credit: KENS 5

Vaccine progress in Bexar County

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

  • 1,469,228 eligible Bexar County residents are fully vaccinated as of Sept. 20, which is about 77.5% of the total population over the age of 4. 
  • 571,536 eligible Bexar County residents have received a COVID-19 booster shot as of Sept. 20, which is 40.4% percent of the population. 

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.

Coronavirus in Texas

The total number of coronavirus cases in the state grew by 3,344 on Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 2,112 new confirmed cases and 1,232 new probable cases. More details can be found on this page.

Tuesday's figures bring the total number of Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 to more than 7.83 million

A lone additional Texas has died from virus complications, the state reported Monday, raising the statewide death toll to 88,976.

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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