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Coronavirus Tracker: Bexar County sees 567 new cases and rise in hospitalizations, plus large backlog of cases and deaths

Facts, not fear: KENS 5 is tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in San Antonio and across Texas.

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: 567 new cases were reported Sunday along with a backlog of 510, bringing the total number of cases for the county to 73,882. No new deaths were reported, but a backlog of 17 deaths brought the death toll to 1,335. 
  • Comal County: The county reported 50 new COVID-19 cases Friday and no new virus-related deaths. There have been a total of 4,338 reported cases of COVID-19 in the county – including 3,110 lab-confirmed cases – while 125 county residents have died. County officials say there are 398 active coronavirus cases, and 3,815 residents are considered recovered. 
  • Hays County: Officials in Hays County on Friday reported 71 new cases in the county and one additional COVID-related fatality. As of Friday, there are a total of 6,960 lab-confirmed cases in the county (671 of which are active), while the death toll rose to 96. 6,193 residents have recovered from the virus.

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 Sunday, Metro Health updated its online coronavirus-tracking dashboards to reflect an additional 567 cases in Bexar County along with a backlog of 510, bringing the total number of cases for the county to 73,882. 

The City updated their coronavirus numbers, revealing the weekly positivity rate has increased to 10 percent. On Tuesday, the Community Response Coalition recommended Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to close bars if the COVID-19 community percent positivity is equal to or exceeds 10% for two consecutive weeks. Prior to the recommendation, Bexar County was at a 9.4% coronavirus positivity rate.

Credit: KENS

No new deaths were reported, but a backlog of 17 deaths that occurred between July and early November brought the death toll to 1,335. 

After hospitalizations marginally increased by a few COVID-19 patients each day this week before a jump Saturday, the local figure shot up again on to 492, a jump of 26. Of those, 84 are on ventilators, up from 66 the day before. 165 are in intensive care, 17 more than Friday.

Credit: KENS

Coronavirus in Texas

The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 8,751 on Sunday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, including 8,554 new cases. That's the most new cases ever reported on a Sunday.

The rest are cases attributed to backlogs that were previously not included in the state's total. (More details can be found at the top of this page.)

As of Sunday, 1.09 million Texans have contracted COVID-19.

Credit: KENS

State health authorities also reported 89 additional virus-related deaths on Sunday. At least 20,556 Texans have died from COVID-19 complications.

A day after COVID-19-related hospital admissions surpassed 8,000 for the first time since August, the figure fell slightly on Saturday to 8,174; that's a drop of 71. 

Since the start of October, the number of Texas hospitalizations has increased by 156%. Meanwhile, the state estimates that 913,796 Texans have recovered, while 162,393 Texans remain ill with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the latest update from the Texas Education Agency showed that there have been 50,420 cumulative cases among staff and students across the state through Nov. 15. 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

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.

San Antonio operates several no-cost testing locations, including two walk-up locations open Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.:

Cuellar Community Center
5626 San Fernando St.
San Antonio, TX 78237

Ramirez Community Center
1011 Gillette Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78224

Additionally, Freeman Coliseum offers drive-through no-cost testing from Monday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. An appointment is required and can be made either online or by calling (833) 213-0643.

Here's a Testing Sites Locator to help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio.

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