SAN ANTONIO – A new projection model shows COVID-19 hospitalizations could be in the 200-300 range in September if people continue to use face masks and bars remain closed, said Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio’s Long School of Medicine.
“And then we expect it to kind of stick around in that low plateau. And the model is taking into account going back to school, Labor Day, but it takes into account continued mandatory masks and continued closure of bars and not having mass gatherings,” Berggren said.
As of Thursday, the number of hospitalized people stood at 532, down 41 from Wednesday. Fifteen percent of staffed hospital beds in Bexar County are available.
During a Q&A with KSAT, Berggren also discussed when we could possibly receive an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine.
“If the vaccine were released on March 1, it’s going to take us a long time to get the metropolitan area vaccinated,” she said.
You can watch Berggren’s full interview in the player above.