Metro Health opens coronavirus hotline for Bexar County residents

Residents can call during business hours on weekdays

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has opened a hotline for Bexar County residents with questions about the novel coronavirus.

Residents can call (210) 207-5779 during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The COVID-19 hotline is available in English and Spanish.

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Residents can also find information from Metro Health online.

Metro Health shared the following information about how the virus is spread, the symptoms and how to prevent it:

How coronavirus spreads

* Respiratory droplets released into the air by coughing and sneezing;

* Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands;

* Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands

At this time, the CDC believes that symptoms of the virus may appear between two and 14 days after exposure.

Coronavirus symptoms

Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

* Fever

* Cough

* Shortness of breath

What to know about COVID-19 testing

1. If you are feeling sick, call your primary care physician’s office before going in.

2. If you do not have a primary care physician, visit any urgent care or walk-in clinic in the community.

3. Community physicians and other clinical providers have access to CDC protocols to determine whether or not patients qualify for COVID-19 testing.

4. Local testing for COVID-19 is currently available only by sending samples to the CDC, in coordination with Metro Health and the CDC.

5. People who do not have CDC-defined symptoms and exposure history will not be offered testing for COVID-19.

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About the Author:

Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 25 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.