Metro Health expanding vaccine mobile clinic model to bridge gaps in minority health care
During Minority Health Month, communities nationwide are shining the spotlight on disparities in health care for minority populations. Metro Health is doing the same in San Antonio, putting its main focus on immunizations.
Metro Health reports 125,100 COVID-19 cases since late December
With daily cases now numbering in the thousands and the positivity rate hovering just under 40%, Dr. Rita Espinosa, chief of epidemiology at Metro Health, said the highly contagious omicron variant is to blame for most, if not all of those cases.
City of San Antonio, Bexar County leaders provide COVID-19 winter surge update
San Antonio and Bexar County officials came together Friday afternoon to update the public about the current status of COVID-19 in our area amid a continuous surge of cases and a third consecutive week at the “severe” risk level.
KSAT Q&A: Infectious disease doctor discusses COVID-19 reinfection with omicron, what to do when showing symptoms
Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined Thursday’s KSAT Q&A to discuss COVID-19 reinfection with the new variant, omicron’s effect on frontline health care workers and precautions to take for those who start showing symptoms and can't find a test.
KSAT Q&A: Infectious diseases doctor explains what you should do after showing COVID-19 symptoms to avoid unneccessary ER visits
Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined the KSAT Q&A on Thursday to discuss the latest rise in omicron COVID-19 cases and what people should do before seeking help at an emergency room.
San Antonio's positivity rate is dropping while testing increases
San Antonio's COVID-19 positivity rate dropped again and it's not because less people are being tested. On March 21, a 2.3 positivity rate was reported, which was the lowest rate the area had seen since Metro Health started tracking it. Sunday's update showed a downtick to a 2.1 positivity rate. RELATED: Local COVID-19 positivity rate is the lowest San Antonio has seen since AprilSome have speculated that the rate reprieve may be due to less people being tested. Metro Health calculates the positivity rate by dividing the number of positive tests returned for the week by the total number of tests administered for that time period.
mysanantonio.comLocal COVID-19 positivity rate is the lowest San Antonio has seen since April
Jessica Phelps /Staff photographerHere's some good news to start the week with: the local positivity rate is the lowest its been since Metro Health first started tracking it last April. Metro Health confirmed that at the 2.3 percent positivity rate, San Antonio has hit a welcomed low point. Spokeswoman Michelle Vigil said it's the lowest San Antonio has recorded since the department added positivity rates to their surveillance data in April. At that point, on April 5, the positivity rate was nearing 12 percent.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio's COVID-19 risk level is now 'low'
Jessica Phelps /Staff photographerSan Antonio started the week with some encouraging news on the COVID-19 front: the risk level is now "low" after months of skewing on the opposite end of the spectrum during the winter surge. Metro Health introduced a low to critical risk meter in June, amid the summer surge, to asses the severity of the case numbers and measure overall progress. Movement throughout the levels of the spectrum take into account a two-week decline in cases, testing capacity, contact tracing, hospital trends, doubling rate, positivity rate and hospital stress.
mysanantonio.comMetro Health registered thousands for Covid vaccine through outreach
Metro Health worked with San Antonio groups to set up appointments for 5,400 high-risk residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. The city's Healthy Neighborhood teams, Stand Up SA and local organizations were deployed to "targeted outreach areas" to sign residents up for their dose. The initiative took place between Jan. 11-29. The areas were determined by their equity index score, number of COVID-19 cases and the COVID-19 mortality in the area.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio hangouts cited for over occupancy, mask-wearing over the weekend
A number of San Antonio businesses were cited for COVID-19 violations over the weekend. Multiple city departments — Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Metro Health and the San Antonio Police Department — enforce COVID-19 regulations. Though sanitation and signage was available, the responding official found guests not practicing social distancing or wearing a mask where required or appropriate. Per the San Antonio Express-News, bars and restaurants weren't the only culprits. The social distancing orders were put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in March.
mysanantonio.comU.S. Army 'impressed' by San Antonio's COVID-19 vaccine rollout at Alamodome
Courtesy, Metro HealthU.S. Army officials toured the Alamodome's vaccination site this week and left feeling "impressed" by the operation, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health DistrictAccording to Metro Health spokeswoman Michelle Vigil, the headquarters for the Army's vaccination efforts are at Ft. Sam Houston. Officials where given a detailed tour of the vaccine operations at the city-run mega hub, which launched earlier this January.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio Metro Health says there will not be a waiting list for COVID-19 vaccinations
Jammed phone lines and "registration full" notices on the COVID-19 vaccination registration site for city-run hubs have some residents asking if a waiting list would help, but Metro Health says there are no plans to implement one. A representative for Metro Health says the department will not be offering a wait list at this time. Rather than opening a floodgate by making the entire week of appointments available, registration will be on a rolling basis with 2,000 slots opening daily. "Other large cities have tried (the waiting list) approach and have not been successful." Appointment registration for the Alamodome vaccination site is available online here.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio expected to receive 40,000 more COVID-19 vaccine doses within the next week
PfizerMetropolitan Health District officials say the San Antonio area will receive an additional 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines within the next week, completing its initial 90,000-dose allocation.As of Tuesday, Bexar County has received 50,000 vaccine doses and inoculated more than 31,000 people in critical populations, according to Metro Health officials. Those first in line are frontline medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities. "The more people we vaccinate, the more vaccines we’ll receive. "Subsequent tiers in line for inoculations include people 65 and older, frontline essential workers and those 16 and older with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications.Bexar County's vaccination plan is available on its COVID-19 Portal . Metro Health officials said they'll continue to update residents as they learn more about the state and federal distribution vaccine-distribution plans.
sacurrent.comMetro Health warns against in-person learning in San Antonio as COVID-19 cases continue to rise
click to enlarge Wikimedia Commons / Louis BafranceWith local COVID-19 cases soaring, San Antonio Metro Health officials on Tuesday issued a new directive recommending parents and schools against in-person instruction.During Tuesday's city and county pandemic briefing, Metro Health Medical Director Dr. Junda Woo said the recent rise in cases has moved school safety metrics for San Antonio and Bexar County campuses into the "red zone," its highest risk level. "Our data show that schools are less risky places than we thought at the start of the pandemic, but we also know that avoiding extra risks will help contain our current surge," Woo said. "We urge parents to choose remote learning until we can get over this hump.”Bexar County reported 1,294 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and nine additional deaths. The seven-day rolling average of cases also climbed to 1,113, breaking a new local record.What's more, Bexar County hospitalizations hit 646 Tuesday, an increase of 32 patients from Monday.Under Texas law, Metro Health can't order school closures, which is a power reserved for state officials. Even so, Woo urged local schools to limit in-person instruction to groups of no more than six children and to at-risk and special ed students, as well as those without the resources to learn virtually.
sacurrent.comSan Antonio public health officials issue recommendations against indoor dining and gatherings
click to enlarge Wikimedia Commons / Charles SpirtosA medic pulls on gloves as she gets ready to work at a mobile testing site in the Texas Hill Country. This is a critical month,” said Dr. Junda Woo, Metro Health's medical director.The new directive urges residents to opt for outdoor dining and take-out service instead of using restaurant dining rooms. In the workplace, people should take meals in separate spaces or outdoors.“We are asking people to be more selective about how they dine and how they gather with others until we’re on the other side of this surge," Woo said. "When you have to be around others, try to bring in fresh air by opening a window or increasing ventilation. Bundle up, mask up and stay safe.”
sacurrent.comSan Antonio-area COVID-19 case count continues to rise as Texas deaths exceed 21,000
Courtesy Photo / City of San AntonioOn Saturday, Metro Health officials reported 492 new COVID-19 infections in Bexar County, raising the cumulative case count to 72,805. Two people being treated for COVID-19 died Saturday, bringing the county's total death toll to 1,318. the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas has tallied 1.16 million coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a New York Times analysis. To date, 21,004 people have died in the state, according to the Times' figures.
sacurrent.comWest Nile virus found in mosquito sample pool near downtown San Antonio, according to Metro Health
A mosquito sample pool southwest of downtown San Antonio tested positive for the West Nile virus last month, according to the city's Metropolitan Health District. The is the second time a sample pool has tested positive for the virus in San Antonio this year. Metro Health said it has treated both areas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is most active in the summer and fall, according to metro health.
mysanantonio.comSan Antonio Metro Health offers Halloween COVID-19 safety guidelines
click to enlarge Pexels / ThirdmanDuring the city's COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, San Antonio Metro Health released recommendations for households hoping to trick-or-treat or pass out candy on Halloween this year.The guidance was released as the cumulative number of cases for San Antonio nears 60,000 with a current average of 156 daily cases Trick-or-treaters are encouraged to maintain six feet of distance from others, to use hand sanitizer often, and to only accept pre-packaged snacks and candy. Metro Health acknowledged that costume masks are not protective from viruses and therefore should be worn along with adequate face coverings.Households looking to pass out treats should do so in a distanced manner away from their doorstep and should wash hands often when preparing goodie bags. If any members of the household are sick, it is advised that no members of the residence participate in handing out candy.“If we continue working together to stop the spread of COVID-19, our community will be able to safely enjoy Halloween and other holidays later this year. Make the right decisions now to do what’s best for your health and the health of others. Our frontline workers, teachers, students and most vulnerable residents are counting on you,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement More information can be found at covid19.sanantonio.gov/Halloween
sacurrent.comMetro Health Expands Coronavirus Testing to People With No Symptoms
In an effort to better understand the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Bexar County, Metro Health on Monday, announced it was expanding capacity at its testing sites for people with no symptoms and pre-symptomatic people. The impetus for the decision began last week when Metro Health tested 270 people at pop-up clinics in two different areas of the city in an effort to expand COVID-19 testing. Emerick said Monday that Metro Health was collecting 1,600 tests per day, but has the capacity to test 3,000. Those include hospitalized patients with symptoms, health care workers, and residents and workers in congregate living settings. It also showed when Metro Health brought testing to people it didnt think were getting tested.
therivardreport.comPhysicians Mobile Coronavirus Testing Site Offers Peace of Mind for a Price
An emergency room physician has started a mobile coronavirus testing site offering both the nasal swab test for COVID-19 and an antibodies test to see if a patient previously had the disease. Others are seeking antibody testing to see if they previously contracted the disease but recovered before being diagnosed. The COVID-19 test, which involves a nasal swab, is processed in an off-site laboratory with results delivered in three to five days. The antibody test is a finger prick to test blood. That site combined with several area private labs has conducted more than 14,000 COVID-19 tests.
therivardreport.comSan Antonios Inequality Endangers Its Most Vulnerable Residents During the Coronavirus Crisis
In one of the citys most vulnerable zip codes, 78205, that number is closer to one in five. I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America and I, and many black Americans, are at higher risk for COVID. Latinos, which represent roughly 62% of the population, accounted for 46% of deaths.Compounding the risk for San Antonios low-income residents is their higher risk for exposure to the coronavirus where they work. Its two dozen full-time employees were charged with tackling institutional racism in the states health systems.While small, the agency counted successes. There will always be another COVID-19 until we address the structural racism this county has forced on us.
sacurrent.comNumber of San Antonio-Area COVID-19 Cases Closes in on 800
click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Fire DepartmentWorkers at the Freeman Coliseum coronavirus testing site wave motorists through. Bexar County's tally of COVID-19 cases has edged closer to 800, and three more people have died of the disease, bringing the local death toll to 33, according to data released Monday Metro Health officials reported 794 cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. That's more than double the number of cases logged 10 days ago.Nearly 90 of the people diagnosed with COVID-19 are hospitalized, according to officials. More than half are in intensive care and 37 are on ventilators.One of the Bexar County fatalities reported Monday was a resident of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the center of a deadly outbreak . More than 70 residents of the facility have tested positive for the virus and 16 have died.Statewide, 13,906 have contracted COVID-19 , and the disease has resulted in 287 deaths.
sacurrent.comFive More Die From San Antonio Nursing Home Coronavirus Outbreak, Bringing Toll to Eight
Source: Google Street ViewSan Antonio officials confirmed Tuesday that five more residents of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center have died following a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, bringing the total number of fatalities there to eight.Local health officials had previously announced three COVID-19-related deaths had occurred from the outbreak. All of the residents were 70 years old or greater, both male and female, who were asymptomatic but tested positive for the virus.Local health officials announced the outbreak at Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation on April 1. Since then, dozens of residents and staff members have tested positive for the disease. Federal inspection reports reveal that the nursing home had been cited for failing to meet infection control deficiencies. The home also received a substandard one-star ranking from the feds, based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures.
sacurrent.comSan Antonio Area Experiences Sixth Coronavirus Death Plus Infection of SAPD Officer
Health officials have confirmed a sixth COVID-19 related death in Bexar County.The victim was a male in his 50s with underlying health conditions, according to details released Monday afternoon by Metro Health. The man was receiving treatment at Methodist Northeast Hospital for an unrelated health issue and died while under care.On Monday, the San Antonio Police Department also confirmed a seven-year department veteran has tested positive for COVID-19. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.
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