Here’s how San Antonio and other Texas metros are holding up against the delta variant

As coronavirus vaccinations slow in the U.S., the contagious infectious delta variant is driving a rise in cases nationwide.

The delta variant emerged in India and is currently widespread, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Evidence suggests that it is potentially more transmissible than any other variant, making it the most dangerous to date. It appears that people are transmitting the virus to others sooner than people spread the original strain of the novel coronavirus.

In Bexar County, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District tells MySA.com it expects to see the same trend Texas is seeing when it comes to the delta variant causing an increase in coronavirus cases, particularly among those who aren’t vaccinated. In Texas, 59 percent of the new cases can be traced back to the delta variant, according to the city’s health district.

However, the percentage could increase and be higher than reported, as testing for the delta variant is not widely available in counties, and it takes longer, Dr. Jason Bowling, an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, tells MySA.com.

Who’s testing for the delta variant?

UT Health San Antonio is working with University Hospital to help identify the delta variant in the city, Bowling says. To determine if the variant is there, lab technicians take a test swab from a positive test and perform genetic sequencing to detect it.

In short, it’s a lot of work, and it’s expensive. Most testing sites and hospitals will send a sample of positive COVID-19 tests to the Department of State Health Services lab to determine if the delta variant is present in its community, Bowling says. UT Health is the only site in San Antonio performing these tests at the moment. The data isn’t readily available for most surrounding counties, like Medina and Atascosa.

Is the variant trending in other major cities?

Trends in larger cities, like San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, show the variant is causing a spike in positivity rates and hospitalizations. In San Antonio, the positivity rate — which is the number of people testing positive out of all COVID tests in the county — doubled since the end of June and now sits at 13.5 percent as of Tuesday. According to Metro Health, 20 percent of the rise tracks back to the delta variant.

Austin moved to Stage 3 on its COVID-19 risk-based guidelines after officials confirmed four cases of the delta variant in the Travis County area on Thursday, July 15, according to the Austin American-Statesman. In Houston, the delta variant has caused an increase in infections week over week in the community since mid-April, according to the Houston Methodist.

Why should you get vaccinated?

The current research suggests that the COVID-19 vaccines are the best protection against the delta variant, according to the CDC. It doesn’t matter which one. Research shows all help keep vaccinated individuals out of the hospital and from dying, Bowling says.

While the symptoms are similar to the initial COVID-19 strain, unvaccinated individuals are at a very high risk to contract the virus and potentially get severe symptoms that lead to hospitalization, Bowling says. In fact, 97 percent of people in the hospital in the U.S. are unvaccinated, according to NPR.

Yes, fully vaccinated folks can still contract the delta variant or other strains but tend to get much less sick, Bowling says. So, when the highly contagious delta variant finds unvaccinated individuals, it spreads like wildfire. Even those who’ve contracted the disease before and don’t have the vaccine can still get a pretty severe case from the delta variant, Bowling says.

Texas hospitalization is trending up, with more than 3,319 people being treated, according to the DSHS website. And, approximately 51 percent of Texans 12 and up are currently fully vaccinated. For children under 12 who can’t receive the vaccine, Bowling says the symptoms aren’t as severe in most cases if contracted with the delta variant.

With nearly half of Texans unvaccinated, Bowling hopes the delta variant doesn’t cause a peak as the original strain did during those winter months in 2020, back when hospitals reached capacity and became short-staffed.

“We’re seeing levels we normally see in October, November, during respiratory virus season, and that’s a clear indication that people aren’t wearing masks, but they’re also not staying home when they’re ill,” Bowling says. “People used to stay home when ill last year, but now we’re not wearing masks and not avoiding big crowds, helping accelerate this rapid increase.”

“That’s the part that’s frustrating to me because I know people want things to get back to normal, but the only way we can is if we get everyone protected first,” he says.

Scroll below to see the vaccination numbers in Bexar County and surrounding counties:

Atascosa County

Google Maps

Percentage of the population fully vaccinated ages 12 and up: 41.33 percent

Bandera County