AUSTIN, Texas – The death toll in Texas from the coronavirus inched nearer to 10,000 on Saturday, with 238 deaths bringing the total to 9,840.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said the number of reported cases increased by 8,245 to 528,838. The true number of cases is likely higher because many people haven't been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
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Health officials said Saturday that 6,481 people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, were hospitalized. The number of hospitalizations has been decreasing since peaking in July at 10,893, and the number of newly reported cases is shrinking.
But the virus is still spreading geographically. The report Thursday of a resident in sparsely populated Sterling County testing positive made it the 251st of the state’s 254 counties to have a confirmed case.
And the number of coronavirus tests being done daily in Texas dropped by the thousands in August, mirroring nationwide trends.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.