The Texas Hospital Association reports health care staffing shortages in every sector of hospitals. In a mad dash for solutions, the key is efficiency. One of University Hospital's solutions is robots.

A new group of COVID-19 variants is spreading across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The early prevalence of respiratory illnesses are placing a strain on healthcare systems, according to the CDC.

A new study from Oregon State University has identified hemp compounds that show the ability to prevent the COVID-19 virus from entering human cells.

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the origin of the virus tormenting the world remains shrouded in mystery.

Doctors at the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio are identifying COVID variants by genome testing.

A Houston vaccine team would like a U.S. distributor but for now focuses its efforts abroad to inoculate those in countries where COVID-19 variants surface more quickly.

A city in northern China has killed three housecats after they tested positive for COVID-19.

Scientists at the Texas A&M University Global Health Research Complex (GHRC) have identified a variant of the COVID-19 virus — “BV-1” — that could present a new challenge to public health.

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Editor’s Note: This article was published through a partnership between Texas A&M University and KSAT. Testing In TexasTexas has long led the charts in the number of SARS-CoV-2 animal infections, owing in large part to the Texas A&M COVID-19 & Pets study, in which researchers go to the homes of people recently diagnosed with COVID-19 to test their pets. People with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 should avoid contact with pets and other animals to protect them from infection and illness. AdAt this time, routine animal testing for COVID-19 is not recommended, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). Those who have recently tested positive in the Brazos Valley, Texas, region and would like to participate in the research by having their pets tested can learn more at the COVID-19 & Pets research webpage.

SAN ANTONIO – With the first doses of Pfizer’s newly approved COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Texas this week, many questions still remain about distribution and the drug. Unlike some others, the COVID-19 vaccine does not contain dead cells from the coronavirus. RELATED: UK probes whether COVID-19 vaccine caused allergic reactionsThere has been some unfounded concern on social media that the vaccine contains cells from a human fetus. Both Dr. Kemp and Dr. Berggren debunked this idea but say keeping track of vaccinations is crucial. MORE ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE:

China has stirred controversy with claims it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING – China says it has detected the coronavirus on packages of imported frozen food, but how valid are its claims and how serious is the threat to public health? Frozen shrimp imported from an Ecuadorian company was banned for one week on Tuesday in a continuing series of such temporary bans. Experts say they generally don’t consider the presence of the virus on packaging to be a significant health risk. “I’ve seen no convincing data that SARS-CoV-2 on food packaging poses a significant risk for infection,” he said.

The San Antonio International Airport says days surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually the busiest of the year. For Thanksgiving, the peak travel period starts Thursday and ends Nov. 25, and for Christmas, the peak travel period lasts Dec. 19-24. The San Antonio airport was the first in the world to deploy a Xenex LightStrike robot, named SAT Terminator, to disinfect surfaces from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Seats in the airport are socially distanced, the airport states, and there are contactless check-in areas and additional hand sanitizing stations. For those who do plan on traveling this holiday season during the pandemic, here are some tips from the San Antonio airport, the CDC, and additional articles:During peak travel seasons, the San Antonio airport advises travelers to arrive two hours before their boarding time.

SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. The damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has not hit all industries or businesses equally. As the technology and defense reporter at the Business Journal, I have seen many businesses thrive as businesses turned to cloud-based software solutions as many more started working from home. After looking at reporting over the past few months, here are some businesses — in no order — that have thrived during the pandemic. See more local businesses that are thriving amid the pandemic at the San Antonio Business Journal.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio International Airport has become the first airport in the world to deploy a Xenex LightStrike robot — an R2-D2-like mechanism that disinfects surfaces from SARS-CoV-2. Airport officials on Wednesday announced it purchased the “only ultraviolet room disinfection technology proven to deactivate” the virus that causes COVID-19 to protect employees and travelers. The LightStrike sends bursts of UV light to kill viruses and bacteria on common surfaces and hard-to-reach spaces, a news release stated. 222 new COVID-19 cases; School risk level now at ‘moderate’LightStrike — created by San Antonio-based Xenex — was tested at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, airport officials said. Research found the robot destroyed SARS-CoV-2 in two minutes, according to airport officials.