On August 8, 2025, health officials in Bexar County, home to San Antonio, confirmed a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, with University Health hospitals and clinics reporting significant increases in patient numbers. Weekly case counts have jumped from just 43 in late June to 214 in early August. While the current level remains below the more than 400 cases recorded during the same week in 2024, the speed of the increase has prompted renewed attention from public health authorities.
This local spike is part of a wider trend across Texas and much of the United States during the summer months. Prolonged heat waves have driven many residents indoors, where the virus can spread more easily in enclosed, air-conditioned environments. Statewide data shows that emergency room visits in Texas related to COVID-19 rose 21.5% toward the end of July, with hospitalizations climbing nearly 18% in the same period. On a national level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 15.1% increase in COVID-19–related ER visits, with Texas and nearby states currently leading the country in test positivity rates, averaging 10.5%.
While health experts stress that the majority of current infections are less severe compared to earlier pandemic waves—largely due to widespread vaccination and immunity from prior infections—the growing caseload is still placing strain on medical facilities. University Health officials have acknowledged that patient volumes, combined with ongoing staffing challenges, are creating operational pressures. Physicians and nurses are balancing COVID-19 cases alongside other medical needs, which often surge in the summer due to heat-related illnesses and seasonal respiratory infections.
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Public health officials are urging residents to take preventive measures to slow the spread of the virus. Vaccination remains the most important protection, particularly for older adults, immunocompromised individuals, and people with underlying health conditions. Health leaders are also recommending consistent hand hygiene, masking in crowded indoor spaces, and improving ventilation in homes and workplaces. Spending more time outdoors, where viral particles disperse more quickly, is also being encouraged as a simple but effective mitigation step.
Epidemiologists note that the recent rise is consistent with a seasonal pattern that has emerged in recent years. Since 2021, COVID-19 cases have tended to spike during the summer, in part because of shifting indoor activity during heat waves and the appearance of new virus variants. Scientists are closely monitoring the situation to determine whether additional vaccination campaigns or updated vaccine formulations will be necessary ahead of the fall and winter seasons, when respiratory illnesses typically surge.
Despite the current challenges, health officials emphasize that the community is better prepared now than in the pandemic’s early stages. Improved treatments, stronger public awareness, and existing immunity provide a more robust defense against severe outcomes. However, they warn that complacency could lead to higher infection rates and more hospital strain. The message remains consistent: continued vigilance, combined with proactive prevention, will be key to keeping Bexar County’s COVID-19 numbers from returning to last year’s higher levels.
