City’s tally of cases tops 100,000
Only a few people have had mild reactions to vaccine
San Antonio’s total coronavirus cases now are more than 100,000, officials reported Friday, as hospitalizations and the seven-day rolling average of new cases continued to go in the wrong direction a week before Christmas. Still, there were positive signs, with very few suffering reactions from the vaccines now being given, officials said.
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported 936 new coronavirus cases Friday in Bexar County. That was down from Thursday’s mark of 1,606, the second highest single-day increase since the pandemic began.
Friday’s new cases pushed the overall number of coronavirus cases here since the pandemic arrived to 100,078, up from 99,142 on Thursday.
In all, two COVID-related deaths were reported, which brought Bexar County’s toll to 1,442, city statistics show, ranking it third highest in the state after Harris and Dallas counties.
“It’s a devastating number because you know that every single one of those 100,000 and the 1,500 some-odd folks that have passed away from the virus in our community is someone’s loved one,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
“I have a good friend who lost her husband yesterday, another good friend who lost his son yesterday,” he added. “Every single one of those numbers is somebody’s son, daughter, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, neighbor, colleague.”
Across the nation, 312,845 deaths have been recorded —
25,198 of those in Texas — with cases topping 17.4 million in the United States and 1.5 million in the Lone Star State.
Harris County has had 214,000 coronavirus cases and 3,203 deaths; Dallas County 166,000 cases and 1,788 deaths, and Tarrant County had 126,000 cases and 1,221 deaths.
The rising numbers prompted a warning this week from Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger, the city’s coronavirus czar, who said San Antonians shouldn’t travel during the holidays.
The highest single-day increase in new cases came July 22, when Metro Health reported 1,688. The current rise, if not as steep as last summer’s, is nearing that record.
Cases had been more than 1,000 for the better part of the week. The seven-day rolling average had increased to 1,100 cases Thursday, but Friday dipped to 1,078.
Pressure on San Antonio-area hospitals has increased with a rising tide of COVID-19 patients, with one in every five being treated for the virus.
As of Friday, 832 patients in San Antonio hospitals were diagnosed with COVID-19, down slightly from Thursday, when 837 patients were hospitalized.
Metro Health reported 110 people were admitted within the previous 24 hours, up by six from the previous day.
Of that total, 275 were in intensive care and 140 on ventilators, up slightly from the day before.
Eight patients in area hospitals are from El Paso.
Older people are the most likely to die of COVID-19. In Bexar County, a quarter of all victims are age 70 to 79. Those 60 to 69 make up 22.8 percent of all deaths, while those 80-89 make up 17.8 percent of those dying of the virus.
People 50 to 59 dying here make up 15.1 percent of all COVID-19 fatalities.
Men are more likely to die than women. The majority of men dying are Hispanic. Both deaths reported Friday were of men, one of them Hispanic.
As of Friday, 9 percent of San Antonio’s staffed hospital beds and 58 percent of ventilators were available. That was down from Thursday, when 10 percent of staffed beds and 61 percent of ventilators were available.
Friday’s briefing featured Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Bryan Alsip, medical officer for University Hospital, and Elliott Mandell, chief pharmacy officer at University Health System.
“Obviously, there is increasing stress on hospitals and that is something we have control over by limiting the transmission of the infection in our community,” the mayor said. “So far, we have beds available for those who get sick, but if this gets out of control, we’re going to find ourselves in a different situation. But right now, we are in solid shape.”
Alsip said all the area hospitals were looking at plans to expand if necessary, but noted they also were handling elective procedures that had been delayed.
“In most cases, almost all the hospitals are doing additional procedures and surgeries they weren’t doing as much of or at all at certain times in the summer,” Alsip said.
Wolff said that while Bexar County had a 24.2 percent positivity rate last summer, it’s just under half that now at 12.5 percent, and added: “That’s not good, but we have not spiked like we did in the summer.”
As all eyes were fixed on what Wolff called “the danger signs” with Christmas and the new year looming, both he and Nirenberg saw the first week of coronavirus vaccinations being administered to health care workers as reason to hope for better days.
Wolff said that of the roughly 1,200 people vaccinated at University Health System, only a few had minor reactions — rashes or localized swelling.
Alsip echoed that.
“As the judge mentioned, I think our partners at UT Health administered over a thousand vaccines, and I think only three had minor adverse reactions,” he said.
“We’ve given, almost 400, I think, today (at University Hospital), and I think have had two or three minor reactions. So I think the good news is the safety profile for the vaccine — and this is one of several that are going to become available — so far is very good.”
Nirenberg said “to be here nine months later still in the grips of this virus is devastating, but we want people to know they’re not alone and we want people to know that help is on the way.”
Older people are the most likely to die of COVID-19. In Bexar County, a quarter of all victims are age 70 to 79. Those 60 to 69 make up 22.8 percent of all deaths, while those 80-89 make up 17.8 percent of those dying of the virus.