SAN ANTONIO – COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the San Antonio area, but as the city prepares for bigger events like Fiesta, local health officials say people must stay vigilant.
“I know it’s easy to think that COVID is gone because we’re living our lives like we did before 2020, but there still is COVID in the community,” said Dr. Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, CEO of San Antonio AIDS Foundation and infectious disease epidemiologist.
According to the City of San Antonio dashboard, the city’s current COVID risk level is low, with around 36 new cases per 100,000 people.
“We’re down to about 120 (cases as of Tuesday morning) or so per day, and most of those are not complicated cases. Still, there are people that get very sick, and we still have people in the hospital with COVID, even in ICU,” said Rohr-Allegrini.
She said the city’s vaccination levels have helped keep COVID at bay here at home.
“We’re upwards of 70% of the population has at least two doses, which is great. However, we know there’s more variants, and the more recent vaccine has those variants in it,” said Rohr-Allegrini.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the dominant variant at the moment is Omicron XBB.1.5, also nicknamed “the Kraken.”
Data from the American Medical Association shows the variant has spread throughout the Northeast, including among those previously infected or vaccinated.
Rohr-Allegrini said this is proof the virus will continue to mutate, so keeping up with boosters to combat new variants is critical.
“It’s best to get the more recent vaccine, and with that, we’re only at about 20% to 30% of the population,” said Rohr-Allegrini. “The way the virus evolves and mutates is different, but we will probably see requests from multiple vaccines, at least for the next few years until we get the perfect vaccine.”
How soon someone should get a booster vaccine also depends on various factors.
“It’s partly related to age. So if you’re over 50 years old or you have immunocompromised immune systems, they recommended another dose last summer or last fall,” said Rohr-Allegrini. “But it’s really important to get the ones that they recommend, and if you have any questions, talk to your doctor about whether or not it’s right for you. But for most people, we recommend getting vaccinated should be a minimum of four by now.”
Rohr-Allegrini said all the old rules for COVID still apply, including staying cautious in crowds, using a mask if you feel comfortable wearing one and practicing proper hygiene.
“If you’ve got any illness, you shouldn’t be out and about potentially giving it to others. Just being conscientious about that is important,” said Rohr-Allegrini.