Rise in area virus cases spurs warning
S.A., Comal affected; city also seeing more in hospitals
Public health officials are concerned about an uptick in coronavirus cases in San Antonio and Comal County in recent weeks and are warning residents that the dangers of the pandemic aren’t over.
“In the past three weeks, we have seen a slow and steady increase,” said Dr. Anita Kurian, assistant director of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s communicable disease division. “We know that the cases are increasing — we know that transmissions are occurring in our community. So we know for a fact not to let our guard down completely.”
The city’s positivity rate — the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive for infection — increased to 5.8 percent last week, up from 3.8 percent the previous week.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also up — 155 patients with the virus were being cared for in San Antonio hospitals last week, up from 135 the previous week. And the seven-day rolling average of new cases jumped 21 percent to 126 new cases per day.
Metro Health is reporting an estimated 2,243 active cases of the virus in San Antonio alone.
The city’s risk level is still classified as low but now is “worsening.”
“So long as we continue to see an increase in our case count, it is not safe to assume we are on the other side of the pandemic,” Kurian said.
In nearby Comal County, the home of New Braunfels, the number of diagnosed cases is also going up.
“We are seeing a little bit of an increase,” said Connie Alaniz, an epidemiologist with Comal County Public Health. “It’s not huge, but it’s there.”
Comal County reported 167 new cases last week — up from 136 the previous week and nearly double
the 89 reported in the first week of June.
“Every time the virus changes, we’re concerned,” Alaniz said. “So we’re watching it. We’re cautious. We want people to protect themselves as much as possible and not get too relaxed. Have fun this summer, but protect yourself at the same time.”
The delta variant, a mutated version of the virus, has been causing concern as it circulates across the country. That variant has turned up in about 20 percent of Bexar County cases sequenced locally — and it accounts for 51 percent of new cases nationwide, Kurian said.
“We know that this variant is now fast emerging as a dominant strain in the nation,” Kurian said. “It seems to be spreading more easily and quickly than other variants.”
She said it’s “likely” the delta variant plays a role in San Antonio’s increasing case numbers but noted it’s difficult to quantify that with certainty.
The variant hasn’t yet turned up in Comal County, where 295 cases of the virus remain active. But that doesn’t mean the mutation hasn’t arrived there, Alaniz said. That’s because only a random sampling of cases are sent for genomic sequencing.
“If it’s not here today, it’s just a matter of time,” Alaniz said of the variant.
COVID-19 vaccines offer the best protection available, Kurian and Alaniz said. The shots greatly reduce the risk of contracting the infection. While it’s possible that vaccinated people still could catch the virus, the shots reduce the severity of the symptoms and drastically curtail the chances of hospitalization or death, Kurian noted.
“What we’ve documented in the past month nationwide is that almost all COVID-19 deaths have occurred in unvaccinated people — which means that nearly all of COVID-19 deaths can be prevented with vaccination,” she said. “So there is no good reason not to get vaccinated at this time.”
The shot “almost certainly guarantees that your risk for hospitalization is minimal,” Kurian added. “And it almost certainly guarantees that you don’t die” from the virus.
More than 100,000 Bexar County residents have received a first dose of vaccine and failed to return for a second dose, Metro Health officials reported. The health department is urging them to get both doses. Those who didn’t return for their second doses account for 9 percent of county residents vaccinated so far.
To be fully protected, people must receive two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer-biontech vaccines. Only the Johnson & Johnson shot can be given in one dose.
Kurian emphasized that people — even those fully vaccinated — should continue to be tested for COVID-19 if they experience symptoms of the virus. In the past several weeks, the number of people being tested in Bexar County has dropped by 61 percent, a decline that Metro Health officials described as significant.
Those who aren’t vaccinated should continue wearing face masks, Kurian said. Everyone is advised to stay home if they are sick. Residents also should continue washing their hands regularly and stay 6 feet away from others, especially if they are indoors at a social gathering or event where lots of people are unmasked, she said.
In Bexar County, 54 percent of people 12 and older have been fully vaccinated, while 64 percent of that population has received at least a first dose, according to state health department data.
Most county seniors 65 and older have received their shots — 74 percent of them have been fully vaccinated, while 83 percent have received at least a first dose, state health data shows.
In Comal County, 52 percent of residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated, while 60 percent of that population has received at least one dose. Among Comal County seniors 65 and older, 80 percent have been fully vaccinated, while 88 percent have received at least one dose.
“We know vaccination is the best defense that we have,” Alaniz said. “Although we do have cases where people are vaccinated and they get COVID, it’s proven to be less severe. A vaccinated person is much less likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID if they do get sick. … We are understanding that there is some vaccine efficacy against the variants as well.”