JASON BOWLING

Data from the San Antonio COVID-19 Dashboard shows us that only 15.1 percent of people in Bexar County have the updated booster.

Why are so many children sick right now? Dr. Mandie Tibball Svatek, University Health pediatric hospitalist and UT Health SA associate professor answers some of parents' most asked questions.

Flu season this year is unlike any we’ve seen before.

University Health will begin offering the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent COVID-19 vaccine starting Tuesday to provide a new layer of protection against the Omicron variant.

The free shots will be offered to anyone 6 months and older, but advance registration is required.

University Health director of hospital epidemiology Dr. Jason Bowling answers some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19, boosters, new vaccines and new CDC recommendations.

University Health director of hospital epidemiology Dr. Jason Bowling addresses concerns about monkeypox symptoms, testing, transmission and treatments.

Questions about the monkeypox vaccine have flooded our KSAT Trust Index inbox: "Who needs it? Is it the same as the smallpox vaccine? Will the old vaccines still work?"

The primary COVID-19 strain right now is BA.5, an Omicron subvariant present in 88% of current cases -- the most infectious strain yet. KSAT viewers sent in questions asking about how soon you can be reinfected with COVID-19.

Talk to health experts July 27th during the KSAT Community Vaccine Phone Bank.

We’ve usually moved on from the flu in late April and are more focused on pollen allergies and other circulating viruses. However, this year is different.

The Omicron variant and its subvariants have symptoms that mimic allergy symptoms. That leaves people wondering if they have allergies or COVID-19. An infectious disease expert explained some differences.

The KSAT Trust Index team was asked to verify the claim that getting COVID could affect a man's sexual health, so we dove into some recent studies to find out.

The KSAT Trust Index team answers the viewer question: "If I got COVID from the Delta and Omicron variants, should I still get vaccinated?"

University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling answers commonly asked questions about the omicron variant, testing and vaccines.

University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling answers questions about whether COVID and the COVID-19 vaccine affects fertility.

University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling answered some frequently asked questions about the effectiveness of different kinds of masks.

The availability of COVID therapies like remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies, and oral antivirals are running low. Local doctors are calling for more availability.

Some immunocompromised people in San Antonio will be eligible to receive a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this month.

The number is surging, though it is still much lower than the peak one year ago.

So far this month, at least 1.2 million Texans have gotten booster shots — nearly triple the number of people who received their first doses of the vaccine during the same time.

So much is unknown about the new COVID-19 variant: the severity of the illness it causes, whether it can resist vaccines and natural antibodies and whether it’s more contagious than the delta variant that has burned through Texas and the U.S. for months.

With the emergence of a new COVID variant, experts say not to panic because we have tools to protect against it.

Texans have many questions one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced major updates regarding COVID-19 booster shots.

Concerns about the delta variant and coronavirus vaccines are split along partisan lines, according to the latest Bexar Facts-KSAT-San Antonio Report poll.

University Health and Bexar County are partnering to make flu shots free and as convenient as possible this year by hosting four drive-thru flu shot events over the next two months.

As COVID-19 surges amid a continuous mask mandate feud, parents and others are sharing why they support or don’t support masks in area schools.

With another COVID-19 wave tearing through San Antonio, some people who were infected with the virus previously may be under the impression that their antibodies will protect them against the delta strain.

In the video released on Friday, Dr. Jason Bowling addresses COVID-19 antibodies, breakthrough infections and why more kids are being hospitalized with COVID-19.

Despite the loosening restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over, especially with the Delta variant causing an uptick in cases and hospitalizations across the globe.

Dr. Jason Bowling, director of Hospital Epidemiology at University Health, talks with Steve Spriester and Myra Arthur about COVID-19 vaccines and the questions that come with them.

On Friday, June 4, KSAT 12 will be holding a phone bank from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with Dr. Jason Bowling, director of hospital epidemiology from University Health, to answer viewers’ comments, questions and concerns.

“Vaccine arm” or “shot shivers?” Whatever you call your post-vaccine symptoms, doctors say the effects of the COVID-19 shot are entirely custom-made according to your immune system, and there is nothing to be feared.

Masking, distancing and travel guidelines have kept flu numbers low to non-existent globally, which leaves little data for researchers trying to predict which strains will be most infections next season.

SAN ANTONIO – Monday is an exciting day for adults across the state of Texas as all adults are now eligible to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine. I want my loved ones to feel safe around me,” Maria Hoag said. So really, the best vaccine, again, is the one that’s available to you right now,” Bowling said. And I just feel safer being able to do the things I’ve been depriving myself from doing,” Hoag said. Those interested can schedule their vaccine with University Health by clicking here.

SAN ANTONIO – We are a year into the coronavirus pandemic and nearly two months into the release of COVID-19 vaccines that have been issued to all 50 states. Because the vaccines use a technology called messenger RNA, or mRNA, there’s confusion and misinformation about what the vaccine does after it’s injected into your arm. Posts claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine causes infertility in women and sterilization in men appear to be targeting those who are pregnant, looking to conceive, or planning a family in the future. It will not turn into COVID-19 infection,” said Dr. Jason Bowling, lead hospital epidemiologist at University Health System. An unfounded social media theory gained traction online claiming that there are microchips and tracking devices in the COVID-19 vaccine.

SAN ANTONIO – Like so many other internet claims on the COVID-19 vaccine, the claim that the injection will alter your DNA has been widely shared and discussed on social media. Two medical experts, Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health System, and Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, have said this claim is NOT TRUE . “The mRNA does not enter the nucleus of our cells. The mRNA does not change a person’s DNA through this process. Some San Antonio teachers, school employees to get COVID-19 vaccine this week through University Health

There’s a question circulating right now around the country: Is the de-worming drug Ivermectin safe and effective to use as a COVID-19 treatment? We ran the question through our KSAT Trust Index, where our teams consult with doctors, researchers and experts about debated topics like this. Bowling said without finishing current clinical trials specific to COVID-19, there’s no way to determine safe doses, possible side effects, and of course, effectiveness. For that reason, combined with lack of FDA approval or emergency use authorization, the statement that ‘Ivermectin is deemed a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 right now’, is being labeled Not True on our KSAT Trust Index. If you have a picture, video, post or claim you want us to check out, submit it on the KSAT Trust Index website.

If you’re not sure how to wear a face mask correctly with COVID-19, KSAT Community partner, University Health has some pointers. Bowling will discuss good mask etiquette and go over the following masks N95, surgical mask, cloth mask, masks with valves, bandana and a neck gaiter. Which mask works best? To learn more, click or tap here. KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.

FACT #1: The COVID-19 vaccine does not and cannot cause COVID-19. FACT #2: The mRNA (messenger RNA) used to create the vaccine does not alter your cells or your DNA. It’s important you complete both of those so you can get the full protection of the vaccine,” Bowling said. The approved Pfizer vaccine is already being used all over the country, including in San Antonio. “Very important that if you get the Pfizer vaccine to start off with, you finish with the Pfizer vaccine.

SAN ANTONIO – It’s a question that many people are asking -- when will we see a COVID-19 vaccine? Bowling also compared the similarities and differences between COVID-19 and the 1918 flu and discussed what the medical field has learned in the past century in terms of how to respond to diseases. But some differences that are important with that flu pandemic back in 1918 - they didn’t have any treatments. There were differences in how people approached 1918 pandemic flu. What are some of the lessons of the 1918 flu?

Are you considering getting the flu shot? This year, it’s more important than ever to get a flu shot, according to medical experts. As we get deeper into flu season, why is it more important than ever to receive the flu shot this year? The flu vaccine is really important help prevent the flu virus from circulating.”How is COVID-19 different from the flu? University Health System explained that the flu shot does not directly protect you from COVID-19, but it does protect you from the flu.

SAN ANTONIO Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, San Antonians are still researching the effectiveness of commonly used face masks, as well as their cost, comfort and practicality. Heres a breakdown of the pros and cons of N95s, surgical masks, bandanas, cloth masks and other commonly used face amouns, including the controversy over neck gaiters. Bowling said the neck gaiter is appropriate for outdoor activities, but that people should not wear it for protection indoors. Theyre not as protective as cloth masks or surgical masks, Bowling said. Surgical masksThese masks, which have been around for a long time, protect against large respiratory droplets, Bowling said.

SAN ANTONIO Once diagnosed with COVID-19, how long should someone isolate before safely resuming with their normal activities? People exposed to the virus are recommended to quarantine for 14 days, which is the incubation period of the virus. Bowling said the 10-day window was determined after researchers grew viral cultures of the virus to see how long it stays alive. So it gives you a little more comfort that that 10-day window is probably pretty accurate for most people that have COVID-19 disease.However, people can still test positive for the virus beyond that window, Bowling said. Now whats helpful in those research studies that are done in viral cultures is they show that the virus is no longer growing, so they no longer have transmissible virus, Bowling said.

SAN ANTONIO – *This article was initially published on UT Health San Antonio’s newsroom website and was republished on KSAT.com with permission from UT Health. “Imagine how many senior adults, cancer patients or transplant recipients were spared from contracting COVID-19,” Dr. Berggren said. Dr. Berggren recalled a story about a hair salon where workers, who later learned they were infected, cut patrons’ hair. “We protect others when we wear a mask,” Dr. Berggren said. The numbers, both in San Antonio and in the 15 states studied, show it.

SAN ANTONIO *This article was initially published on UT Health San Antonios newsroom website and was republished on KSAT.com with permission from UT Health. Tests will not be positive until there is an active infection, so testing too early could yield a false negative. COVID-19 tests are important tools for diagnosing infection, but there are limitations to any test, said Jason Bowling, MD, associate professor of infectious diseases. After exposure to someone with COVID-19, you are at potential risk for developing infection for 14 days after the exposure. Several testing sites are available throughout the San Antonio area and are listed on the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District website: List of Testing Locations in Bexar County.

Its a question many KSAT viewers have asked if it can be used as a disinfectant so we ran it through our KSAT Trust Index. Dr Berggren said hydrogen peroxide can in fact kill COVID-19, but that doesn't mean it's the best thing to use. So when it comes to using hydrogen peroxide as a COVID-19 disinfectant the KSAT trust index labels it, "Be Careful." Read our latest Trust Index stories:Trust Index: The flu shot does not increase your risk of getting COVID-19Trust Index: Do vitamin deficiencies make you more susceptible to COVID-19? Trust Index: Despite what you see on Facebook, H-E-B is not imposing age limits in its storesKSAT Trust Index: Do San Antonio hospitals have enough personal protective equipment?

SAN ANTONIO Its a claim thats been circulating for weeks: getting the flu shot will increase your risk of getting COVID-19. Two renowned local doctors gave the same definitive answer and then explained why it's never been more important to get the flu shot. The flu shot will help prevent you from getting the flu," said Dr. Ruth Berggren with UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine. That message comes alongside an important reminder: the flu shot does not give you the flu. Read our latest Trust Index stories:Trust Index: Do vitamin deficiencies make you more susceptible to COVID-19?

So we ran it through our KSAT Trust Index, asking two local medical experts. That doesnt mean someone should go and start gobbling vitamin D. You can overdose on vitamin D. You should follow guidelines. If you have a claim, video or picture youd like KSAT to check out, submit it to the KSAT Trust Index website. KSAT Trust Index: Do San Antonio hospitals have enough personal protective equipment? Trust Index: Despite what you see on Facebook, H-E-B is not imposing age limits in its storesTrust Index: Can disinfectant injections and sunlight kill coronavirus?

SAN ANTONIO – In response to growing concerns over the novel coronavirus in San Antonio, the Metropolitan Health District and the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce hosted an educational panel about the virus. The point of the “Coronavirus: What you should know” discussion was to educate the public amid rumors and misinformation. San Antonio: CDC planned to drop cruise passengers at mallResidents can call (210) 207-5779 during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to the CDC, these symptoms include:Mild to severe respiratory illnessFeverCoughShortness of breathThe symptoms of coronavirus are similar to the flu. As you would with any other illness, make sure you wash your hands consistently and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, CDC officials say.

SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, says the U.S. has “no need to panic right now" amid international efforts to contain the coronavirus that began in China. At least 17 deaths have been reported in China, where more than 500 cases are now confirmed. “Lots of travel and transmissible diseases can lead to increased numbers of cases,” Bowling said. “It appears to be a respiratory disease,” Bowling said. Bowling said technology helped unlock the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus strain.