LONG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Health care workers are on the frontline when it comes to recognizing domestic violence victims, but it’s not just bruises and scars they’re treating.

The next generation of physicians promises to have a greater representation of African Americans, according to Chiquita Collins, chief diversity officer for the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the San Antonio area, the estimated date of when the city may actually reach its peak keeps getting pushed back.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined the KSAT Q&A on Thursday to discuss new developments about the omicron variant and to answer questions concerning the virus.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, of the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, joins KSAT Q&A to discuss the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against other variants.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, of the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, joins KSAT Q&A to discuss teens receiving their COVID-19 vaccine and when you should still keep your mask handy despite new CDC guidelines.

As healthcare providers, overworked and understaffed, battle COVID-19 from the front lines, San Antonio’s two medical schools are experiencing record numbers of new applications. Applications at medical schools across the U.S. are up a record 18% from last year , according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. "The medical school generations, Millennials and Gen Z, have a strong sense of community and civic responsibility which has been heightened during COVID." “There is so much that goes into the process that it's not a whimsical decision to apply to medical school,” Harper explained. Meanwhile, both San Antonio medical schools are accepting test scores from up to five years prior, instead of the usual two-to-four-year standard.

SAN ANTONIO – Infectious disease doctor Ruth Berggren with UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine says we should be taking safety precautions like hand washing to prevent more than just coronavirus. In the latest KSAT Q&A she talks about transmission of covid-19 and things like the common cold. More from Dr. Berggren:How safe is curbside voting? COVID-safe Halloween celebration ideas from San Antonio doctorCOVID-19 hospitalizations not seeing same decrease as positivity rate, says San Antonio doctor

SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease doctor with UT Health’s Long School of Medicine, joins KSAT Q&A to talk about the latest in coronavirus spread in San Antonio and vaccine development. Watch the full interview in the video player above. Catch more expert interviews every Monday- Friday at 6:30 p.m. and on the Nightbeat.

SAN ANTONIO – From concerns over mail-in ballots to risking exposure at the polls, voting during a pandemic has been a hot topic this election season. In the latest KSAT Q&A, Dr. Ruth Berggren with UT Health’s Long School of Medicine said whichever way you vote, it could be good for your health. How could voting be good for your health in the middle of a pandemic? Latest vaccine developmentsThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out new guidance to prepare states for a vaccine distribution. According to Berggren, there are as many as five vaccines from different companies that are working through the approval process.

SAN ANTONIO – There are dozens of coronavirus vaccines currently in development. According to AstraZeneca, a woman who received the experimental vaccine reported symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord. The symptoms are neurological and Berggren said it’s hard to tell if they were caused by the vaccine. “And so to get, as a nation, 300 million people promptly vaccinated [for the coronavirus] is going to take some time. Related: Companies testing vaccines pledge safety, high standardsSan Antonio doctor leading Operation Warp Speed COVID-19 vaccine trialWatch KSAT Explains: A search for a COVID-19 below:

SAN ANTONIO – During a Q&A on Thursday, Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist from UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine, answered questions submitted by viewers. Can a face shield be worn instead of a face mask? “You’re worse off just wearing a face shield. She says face masks act as a barrier to “catch some of the big droplets that are coming at you if somebody sneezes.”Will the COVID-19 vaccine cause bad side effects? “And the reason I believe that is the progress that’s been made so far with the vaccine development and also with drug development.”

San Antonio hospitals are reaching capacity, as 87% of available staffed beds are currently in use. Only 13% of staffed hospitals beds are available. Experts have been concerned they might see a shortage in the antiviral drug remdesivir. Much of the supply at local hospitals came from the U.S. government. “This week we did run out of the drug remdesivir for a while.

SAN ANTONIO As the COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Bexar County, you may be wondering whether youve been exposed to the disease and when you should get tested. Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, answered those questions during a Q&A with KSAT on Thursday. Berggren said people with COVID-19 symptoms should get priority due to the number of people rushing to get tested right now. Berggren said that you should wait at least eight days after youve been exposed to COVID-19 before getting tested. RELATED: Coronavirus update San Antonio, June 25: Single largest daily increase of COVID-19 cases reported in Bexar County

SAN ANTONIO – SAQ: What is immunity testing and is it going to be available in San Antonio? According to Doctor Ruth Berggren with the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, immunity is the body’s ability to fight off illnesses. There is now testing to see whether someone is making enough antibodies to fight off the new coronavirus. ICYMI: Local scientists studying levels of immunity in COVID-19 survivorsDr. Berggren said “we won’t know exactly what it means right off the bat. Dr. Berggren said the test has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration and will be available in San Antonio within in the next two weeks.