SAN ANTONIO – LGTBQ advocates are urging city leaders for more data when it comes to the number of COVID-19 cases.
Robert Salcido, executive director of Pride Center San Antonio, said LGBTQ members are a vulnerable population.
“There’s a wide range of different issues that could potentially affect and impact an LGBTQ community member," he said.
Salcido said the many LGBTQ people are homeless, have limited access to health care, and there is a high rate of individuals living with HIV.
He said his organization needs more data so they can provide help to people who are at high risk of contracting the virus.
“Unfortunately, there are community members that have lost their lives because of it. We’ve seen it across the board," he said.
Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger said the number of COVID-19 cases has not been broken down by sexual orientation, but that could change if city leaders need the data.
“If that becomes something that policymakers would like to see, that is something we would have to start doing moving forward,” said Bridger.
Bridger said the Metropolitan Health District is planning to expand testing to marginalized communities that include LGBTQ people.
“Areas with vulnerable populations, marginalized populations -- targeting those areas that seem to be under-represented,” she said.
Salcido said that information can be helpful and life-saving.
“That would help us better prepared for something very catastrophic, like what’s going on now,” he said.
Salcido also called out the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after they modified restrictions for blood donations for LGBTQ people.
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center sent this statement to KSAT:
"We’re excited about the recent FDA announcement that provides the opportunity to make blood donation available to additional audiences that until now have been deferred. We have been focusing our limited resources on a specific priority, which is the new FDA program to collect and distribute convalescent plasma to hospitals who are treating patients suffering from COVID-19. This new program has the potential to save the lives of severely ill patients – it could represent the last hope for these patients and their families, providing a significant benefit to the hospitals working to serve our community.
Once we have the process for the convalescent plasma program in place, we will turn to expanding our donor base by working with the donor audiences impacted by the new FDA donor deferral guidelines. We look forward to being able to implement the procedures to work with these donors, and whose generosity will help provide the gift of life to patients in need."