San Antonio sees familiar late-summer COVID bump
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
COVID-19 is making its late-summer rounds in San Antonio.
Why it matters: The virus is settling into a seasonal rhythm that can still pose serious risks for vulnerable residents.
Driving the news: UT Health San Antonio began noticing an increase in local COVID cases in mid-August, based on University Health lab testing of ER and urgent care patients.
- "This is a meaningful surge with an increase from relatively low levels to at least moderate levels," Jason Bowling, professor and interim chief of UT Health San Antonio's Division of Infectious Diseases and director of hospital epidemiology at University Health, tells Axios.
By the numbers: State data shows COVID-related emergency department visits climbed sharply in August, particularly among young children.
- Among children under 2, COVID accounted for 5.3% of ER visits during the week ending Aug. 22.
- Visits have since declined but remain elevated from earlier summer levels.
Zoom out: Texas' COVID wastewater activity dropped from "very high" in late August — when it was the only state in the CDC's highest category — to "high" for the week ending Sept. 5.
- It remains among the highest levels nationwide.
Zoom in: Bowling attributes the surge to a combination of waning immunity, summer travel and students returning to classrooms.
- Late-summer bumps aren't unusual. Bowling says COVID activity has peaked around this time during the past two years.
Yes, but: It's harder to quantify the surge now that states are no longer required to report COVID cases and wastewater surveillance is more limited, Bowling says.
What's next: An updated COVID vaccine was approved in late August and is expected to become available soon.
- Bowling recommends people at higher risk of severe disease consider masking in crowded indoor settings.