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San Antonio's COVID-19 positivity rate drops back below 5% | Track the numbers

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 Tuesday, Sept. 21):

  • 344 additional COVID-positive cases were reported Tuesday; the seven-day moving average of new cases is 652 per day. The total number of cases rose to 305,262.
  • The county's death toll rose to 4,282 on Tuesday after one new death and 110 backlogged fatalities were added to the total.
  • 73 new admissions were reported in the last 24 hours. As of Tuesday, 868 Bexar County residents are currently hospitalized, including 22 pediatric patients. 196 patients are on ventilators, while 314 are in intensive care.83 percent of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated.  

Texas (data as of Tuesday, Sept. 21):

  • 13,780 cases were reported Tuesday, including 10,534 new confirmed, 2,622 new probable, and 624 backlogged cases. More than 3.938 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
  • 346 additional deaths were reported, raising the statewide death toll from virus complications to 61,178.
  • 11,658 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized across Texas, as of Tuesday; that includes 253 pediatric COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the state. The state has 357 adult ICU beds and 114 pediatric ICU beds available.

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

Credit: KENS
Credit: KENS

Vaccine Progress in Bexar County

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

  • 1,458,525 Bexar County residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, representing 87.2% of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
  • 1,191,883 Bexar County residents are fully vaccinated, representing 71.3% of the county's population eligible to receive a vaccination.
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, 14.562 million residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In total, the state has administered 30.453 million vaccine doses, as of September 21. Texas is in the middle of the pack among the rest of the states, with between 45 to 61% of its population fully vaccinated, as of September 20:

Credit: KENS

Progress and Warning Indicators

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.

Yes, delta variant symptoms are slightly different than original COVID-19 strain symptoms 

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

  • Get vaccinated
  • Wear a mask
  • 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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