COVID cases up, could signal surge

County officials are concerned by uptick amid rise in other respiratory illnesses

New cases of COVID-19 have been on the rise in Bexar County, signaling a possible surge heading into the holidays.

Health officials say the uptick is especially concerning because of increases in other respiratory illnesses.

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported 365 new COVID-19 cases last Thursday and 284 on Tuesday. Those were the highest one-day totals since Sept. 17, when 591 new cases were logged.

The seven-day rolling average — a measurement that evens out day-to-day fluctuations — stands at 185 cases per day, according to Metro Health. A year ago, it was 175 new cases per day.

The agency currently rates the region’s COVID-19 risk as “low” but “worsening.”

The latest bump in infections is not nearly as serious as last winter’s surge, when thousands of new cases were reported per day. That spike began to fade in February.

Since then, Metro Health has not tracked a major resurgence in the virus, despite occasional daily spikes, including a peak of 1,656 new cases reported June 21.

Health officials have tracked increases in other illnesses, which may be connected to relaxed habits regarding handwashing, mask-wearing and staying home when sick.

Anita Kurian, deputy director of the communicable disease division at Metro Health, recently told the Express-news that the region is “experiencing a resurgence of NON-COVID illnesses.”

The number of people showing up at emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms such as coughing or sore throat jumped from 243 in early November 2021

to 2,227 during the same one-week period this month, Metro Health reported. Among patients 65 and over, the count rose from 9 to 56.

Metro Health and local hospitals also have reported an earlier-than-normal seasonal spike in respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and rhinovirus among children treated in pediatric intensive care units. Symptoms include a runny nose, loss of appetite, coughing, wheezing and, in severe cases, headaches, confusion and difficulty breathing.

Metro Health offers this guidance:

• Stay up to date on news regarding flu and COVID-19 vaccines for people 6 months and older. The updated bivalent COVID-19 booster is recommended for children over 5.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home and limit contact with others if you’re sick.

• Consider getting tested before attending any gatherings if you feel sick, especially if others with risk factors such as diabetes or heart disease will be present.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.