SAN ANTONIO – For the past few years, the flu was held in check but it’s making a comeback, according to a pediatrician with the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.
At the same time, RSV, strep and other illnesses are going around.
Courtney Smith, a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital Of San Antonio, said her clinic is seeing more children and adults coming in sick with the flu.
“We’re seeing a lot more kids in the clinic sick with symptoms that look very similar to each other. A wet cough and congestion and fever can go along with a lot of these different viruses. And so seeing all of these at once is definitely made our clinic a lot busier” Smith said.
Christus Health System reported the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio emergency rooms are filling up 20% to 25% above normal.
“They’ve jumped up much higher, much sooner. So it took a lot of people by surprise that we were seeing these high number” Smith said.
The increase in patients is due to flu, RSV, strep and several other illnesses spreading.
“A lot of people who usually get their flu vaccines every year hadn’t gotten it yet by the time they actually got exposed to the flu. So we’re still really encouraging all of our patients and all of our families to get their flu shots,” Smith said.
SAN ANTONIO – Two people in Bexar County have tested positive for monkeypox, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
They are the first confirmed cases here but Metro Health says the threat to the community still remains low.
Both of the individuals are isolating and are following the recommended protocols. Metro Health has also notified their close contacts.
As of Wednesday, Texas has reported 42 cases of monkeypox.
Austin has 6 confirmed cases and 7 presumptive cases.
The rare viral disease involves “skin lesions in the genital, groin, and anal regions” that could be confused with rashes caused by herpes and syphilis, according to health officials.
Other symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and backache, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes.
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“With increased cases occurring nationwide and across the state, we have been actively monitoring this situation,” said Metro Health Director Claude A. Jacob in a news release. “Because the disease does not easily spread from person-to-person without direct contact, the chance of exposure to the public is minimal. We encourage residents to be aware of the symptoms, follow prevention recommendations, and consult with a healthcare provider when needed.”
Monkeypox is part of the same family of viruses that cause smallpox, according to the CDC.
It can be spread through skin-to-skin contact, especially with a rash, scabs or by sharing body fluids with someone who has the viral disease.
“Additionally, touching objects, fabrics, and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox or close contact with respiratory secretions can transmit the disease,” Metro Health said in a release.
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To help curb the spread of monkeypox, Metro Health recommends the following:
Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact in large crowds where people are wearing minimal clothing (such as nightclubs, festivals, raves, saunas, and bathhouses).
Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with someone with a new, unexplained rash.
If you were exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms such as fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes and a new, unexplained rash, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Healthcare providers can provide testing and care for people with monkeypox.
If sick with monkeypox, isolate at home until the rash has fully resolved, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed. Monkeypox is usually a self-limiting infection that does not require hospitalization.
Supplies of the vaccine against monkeypox are limited, including in Bexar County. Health officials said vaccination is only being offered to people identified as contacts during case investigations.
SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio and Bexar County officials are celebrating what they called a major milestone in the effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations.
As of Thursday, Bexar County reported that 1,263,881 residents 12 and older are now fully vaccinated, amounting to more than 75%. More than 90% have received at least one dose, amounting to 1,516,675 as of Thursday.
While San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg was pleased with the progress, he noted an important caveat in those numbers.
“Please remember that children younger than 12 are still not eligible for vaccination and that means we still have a considerable ways to go for our community to be fully vaccinated,” Nirenberg said.
Nirenberg reported two new COVID-19 deaths in Bexar County, totaling 4,651 since the pandemic began.
There were also 249 new COVID-19 cases, with a 7-day rolling average of 328.
There are 393 patients in area hospitals (roughly 70% unvaccinated), with 148 in the ICU and 75 on ventilators.
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Booster COVID-19 vaccines are being administered at the Alamodome and other Metro Health administration locations. Those who would like to get a booster shot are asked to bring their vaccine cards with them. While an appointment isn’t required, you can still make one by visiting the city’s COVID-19 website. Eligibility will be verified using the state registry.
The booster shots are only for those who are eligible under CDC guidelines and have received the Pfizer vaccine. Those who received Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be turned away at this time. Click here to learn who is eligible for a booster.
The Alamodome site is open from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Officials are also encouraging people to get their flu shots. Many retail pharmacies are offering COVID-19 booster and flu vaccines for those who can’t make it to the city or county sites. Check with your local pharmacy for vaccine availability.
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Watch the entire briefing in the video player above to hear more from city and county leaders.
SAN ANTONIO – Eighteen new COVID-19 deaths were reported during Thursday’s COVID-19 briefing, bringing the total to 4,426 in the Bexar County area, according to Claude Jacob, Metro Health director.
Jacob reported 417 new cases and a new 7-day rolling average of 554 cases.
There are 659 COVID-19 patients in area hospitals, 81% of which are unvaccinated, Jacob said. He said there are 21 pediatric patients with COVID-19 in local hospitals.
See more of today’s COVID-19 statistics here.
COVID-19 vaccinations
Booster COVID-19 vaccines are being administered at the Alamodome and other Metro Health administration locations. Those who would like to get a booster shot are asked to bring their vaccine cards with them. While an appointment isn’t required, you can still make one by visiting the city’s COVID-19 website. Eligibility will be verified using the state registry.
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The booster shots are only for those who are eligible under CDC guidelines and have received the Pfizer vaccine. Those who received Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccines will be turned away at this time. Click here to learn about who is eligible for a booster.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said the Wonderland of the Americas site has administered about 5,000 vaccinations since it reopened.
Jacob says Metro Health has given out 300 H-E-B gift cards as part of its vaccine incentive program. Click here for more information.
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Many retail pharmacies are also offering booster vaccines for those who can’t make it to the city or county sites. Check with your local pharmacy for vaccine availability.
Watch the entire briefing in the video player above to hear more from city and county leaders.
SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 positivity rate in Bexar County has decreased to 4.9% this week, down from 7.1% the previous week, according to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
The mayor says the number of COVID-19 cases being reported are on a 100% downward trajectory. However, the risk level of our area remains “moderate” but is improving, Nirenberg said.
Metro Health Director Claude Jacob said the city is cautiously optimistic after seeing a steady decline in the positivity rate. However, leaders will be paying close attention during the holidays, as more people tend to gather indoors during cooler temperatures.
“We still have a long way to go,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff during Tuesday’s briefing.
“It’s not over yet, but we’re going in the right direction,” he continued.
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Hospitalizations in Bexar County
There were 73 new hospital admission in the last 24 hours, and 83% of patients in area hospitals are unvaccinated.
Twenty-two COVID-19 patients in local hospitals are children, Nirenberg said.
See today’s COVID-19 numbers and what to know about the latest rise in San Antonio and surrounding areas here.
Monoclonal antibody treatment
Wolff says there has been a tremendous demand for monoclonal antibody treatment compared to other surges. He said each infusion costs more than $2,000, while a vaccine only costs $20.
Watch the entire briefing in the video player above to hear more from city and county leaders.
SAN ANTONIO – Ahead of Labor Day weekend, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Thursday urged residents to remain vigilant and take precautions to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
“Remember again that the choices that you make over this holiday weekend will determine how much longer this surge of COVID-19 lasts,” Nirenberg said. “So please do your part to help us contain this virus.”
Nirenberg recommended that families have individually packaged meals and snacks at gatherings to reduce the chances of infection.
“Regardless of your vaccination status, mask up around others, wearing a mask is still the easiest thing to do for anyone to slow the spread fo this virus,” Nirenberg said.
Officials said no curfew will be imposed over the holiday weekend.
See today’s COVID-19 numbers and what to know about the latest rise in San Antonio and surrounding areas here.
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Hospital admissions are still high
Though overall hospitalizations have decreased, Nirenberg said there were still 195 new COVID-19 hospital admissions over the past 24 hours. Nirenberg said admissions have been “staying near those record numbers each day.”
Roughly 85% of those hospitalized are unvaccinated, Nirenberg said.
Part of the decrease in hospitalizations is due to the increased use of monoclonal antibody treatments like Regeneron, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said.
“Until the incoming patients start really dramatically going down, I think we still have a problem,” Wolff said.
Hospitals have also tried to bring certain medical services to patients at their home to cut down on admissions.
Flu season
Flu season is right around the corner, kicking off on Oct. 1. With COVID-19 cases still surging, officials recommended families get their flu shots as soon as possible to reduce their chances of getting sick.
“Don’t wait for a high number of (flu) cases in the community. The best time to get vaccinated is before the cases come,” said Dr. Anita Kurian, assistant director of Metro Health.
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Kurian said the city will begin receiving shipments of the flu vaccine toward the end of August and begin administering it in September. Other medical providers may have already started offering the flu shot, Kurian said.
If flu cases rise, experts worry about a potential “triple threat” amid the pandemic with COVID-19, the flu, and RSV.
SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County and San Antonio leaders are seeing a surge in hospitalizations and more people getting tested amid an increase of COVID-19 cases in our area and across the state.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during Tuesday night’s COVID-19 briefing that there were 209 people admitted to the hospital within the last 24 hours, 24 of which were pediatric cases.
See today’s COVID-19 numbers and what to know about the latest rise in San Antonio and surrounding areas here.
Nirenberg said he learned Monday that the state had asked for refrigerated trucks weeks ago to hold bodies of people who have succumed to COVID-19. He said it was indicative of what the state expects, given the recent court battles across the state over mask mandates and vaccine hesitancy.
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The mayor continued to push common-sense COVID-19 precautions, like masks, social distancing, vaccines and other measures.
Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez says the Fusion Center is seeing an average of about 100 patients a day. He said the antibody treatment can hopefully prevent some people from having to go to the hospital.
San Antonio Metropolitan Health District Director Claude Jacob said the city’s facilities have plenty of capacity for testing, and the city is well-equipped to test more people, if needed.
Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of Metro Health, agreed and said the severity of the pandemic will depend on the measures people take now. She said depending on how vaccination rates trend, and if proper precautions are taken, it could mean the difference between months of more cases to come or years if conditions don’t improve.
“It’s still tight,” Woo said. “… Do we want to be in this for another few months? Or do we want to be in the pandemic for another year or more? A lot of it depends on how much we get vaccinated now and take these measures, like wearing a mask. If we get to where another variant goes free the way the Delta variant has with the number of unvaccinated people we have, this is not going to end anytime soon.”
SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 risk level that fell to the green zone of “low” in the months after the vaccine rollout has now increased to “severe.”
And it’s listed as “worsening.”
City officials base the level on hospital trends, the average case rate, the positivity rate and hospital stress as San Antonio along with other parts of the United States experience another wave of infections, many of which are the highly contagious delta variant.
As of Tuesday evening, Bexar County recorded a seven-day moving average of 1,146 new cases, an increase from 724 the week prior.
Officials also reported 920 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, an increase from 695 the week prior. About 260 patients are in the intensive care unit and 132 patients are on ventilators as of Tuesday.
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Data shows that as of Tuesday, 7% of staffed beds are available and 64% of ventilators are available.
Baptist Health System CEO Matthew Stone recently told KSAT that if hospitalizations continue to increase at that rate, they could surpass the January high of more than 1,500.
“And that will be – it will be a crunch,” he said.
City spokeswoman Cleo Garcia said the city’s COVID-19 risk level was at “low” before it increased to “mild” on July 6.
It was at that level for three weeks before increasing to “moderate.” On Tuesday, the city listed the risk level as “severe.”
The COVID-19 risk level in San Antonio went from “low” in early July to “severe” on Aug. 3. (KSAT)
Public officials and health experts have upped the urge for greater health precautions while encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Dr. Rogelio Saenz, a demography professor at UTSA’s College for Health, Community and Policy, said it is likely that San Antonio could experience another spike as children head back to school.
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“(A spike) is likely to be the case that the public health experts are indicating, and a lot has to do with the knowledge that specialists are now realizing with the delta variant … these particular variants are much, much more dangerous, they’re much more contagious,” he said.
High infection levels and the delta variant caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reverse its course on mask mandates. Now, public health officials are advising people to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, in parts of the U.S. with at least 50 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week.
The masking guidance will stay in place until spread is under control, but experts say the easiest solution is to boost arm jabs.
Saenz added that “one of the statistics that needs to be regularly, regularly repeated” is that the majority of people who are hospitalized or die from COVID-19 are not vaccinated.
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When unvaccinated people are on ventilators and are at “death’s door,” he said, it’s often too late.
In San Antonio, about 63.4% of those 12 years or older, or about 1.05 million people, are fully vaccinated, as of July 28. About 76.8% of that age group, or 1.27 million people, have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
COVID-19 Bexar County Vaccination Statistics. (City of San Antonio)