Federal health officials say three women who were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are believed to be the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles.

A high number of flu cases are normal for this time of year in South Texas, but lately, doctors in San Antonio are treating and seeing more patients with RSV or COVID-19.

As the viral disease monkeypox continues to spread around the world, the U.S. earlier this month declared the outbreak a national health emergency.

Some San Antonio clinics have estimated wait times stretching for hours, some for days.

Will the coronavirus ever go away? (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)WASHINGTON – Will the coronavirus ever go away? But many experts believe it’s likely the disease will eventually ease from a crisis to a nuisance like the common cold. The only virus that’s ever been eradicated from the human population is smallpox. __The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series.

And he told CNN that more zoonotic diseases, or those that jump from animals to humans, are in store for our future. COVID-19 originally jumped from an animal to humans, although scientists do not know which animal, exactly. Experts say the rising number of emerging viruses is largely the result of ecological destruction and wildlife trade. The United Nations is warning that deforestation and population increases could cause more viruses to jump to humans. So scientists leave this warning: protect forests to protect humanity because Mother Nature has deadly weapons in her armory.

SAN ANTONIO – Researchers are working on learning more about the new variant of coronavirus found in the United Kingdom. In San Antonio, the Metropolitan Health District is working to identify if the variant has made its way into our community. Dr. Anita Kurian, assistant director of Metro Health, says the only way to confirm if the mutation has made it to San Antonio is by looking at the genomic sequence, which helps identify the strain. Researchers say all viruses tend to mutate, and the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be effective against the new variant. RELATED: Vaccines, therapeutics should still be effective against new coronavirus strand, San Antonio doctor says

Medical personnel of a nursing home awaiting French Health Minister Olivier Veran in Clamart, south of Paris, Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. Virus pressure is mounting at French nursing homes, where more than 400 people with the virus have died in the past week. “I cry every day,” said Patricia Deliry, 81, whose daughter usually provides daily assistance at her Paris care home but has been kept away for the past two weeks as part of the home's virus protection efforts. Germany launched a similar antigen test effort at nursing homes this week. France is currently under a new partial lockdown as overall virus hospitalizations and deaths have risen sharply in recent weeks, but nursing homes are allowed to stay open if they take precautions.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. TOP OF THE HOUR:— Public health expert warns coronavirus still has a long run. Washington (AP) — A public health expert says the new coronavirus still “has a long way to run” despite President Donald Trump’s claim last week that it will go away without a vaccine. He argued that the lockdown would deal a “swift and massive blow” to the virus and “flatten” the curve of infections. And then I think you’re going to see a bounce-back from a low standpoint.”Mnuchin spoke on Fox News Sunday.

New COVID-19 testing site opens in San AntonioPublished: March 18, 2020, 7:52 pmThe new site at Freeman Coliseum can collect 16 tests per hour, officials said

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is investigating a fourth confirmed travel-related positive COVID-19 case, officials said Monday night. The first positive case in San Antonio involved a flight from California, the second involved a trip to Japan, and the third involved a trip to Spain. “The 4th case is considered travel-related as the source of exposure is known,” he said in a tweet. RELATED: San Antonio doctor tests positive for COVID-19 after travel, quarantining at home[COVID-19 UPDATE] 1/18To date, we have received confirmation of 4 travel-related cases of COVID-19. Abbott declares statewide emergency over coronavirus pandemic· What we know: San Antonio tourism hotspots impacted by the coronavirus

This newest coronavirus, COVID-19, has been making headlines nonstop ever since it arrived in the United States. The virus has infected 98,000 people and killed more than 3,300 globally — even though in the U.S., those numbers are much smaller. There’s a lot to know about how to protect yourself from the coronavirus, but one of the most important things to be aware of is how it spreads. The first infections were linked to a live animal market, but it’s now spreading from person to person, health officials said. The CDC recommends keeping infected and possibly infected people quarantined so that the virus can’t spread anymore.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio community has to become microbial warriors in the fights against the COVID-19 coronavirus, expert say. “Many businesses who should be thinking and dusting off — if they haven’t already done so — their business continuity plan and especially their pandemic preparedness plans,” Olinger said. SAQ: Your questions answered about the coronavirusIt could be challenging to track down individuals who may have been exposed to the virus, she said. “How do we become microbial warriors to fight this thing off? Track live coronavirus updates with real-time map of confirmed cases, deaths

(Peng Ziyang/Xinhua via AP)Scientists are starting to fill in some key gaps in what's known about the new virus from China. In 2002, one called SARS caused an outbreak of severe pneumonia in China and spread to other countries. The new virus is 75% to 80% identical to SARS, scientists have reported. It's not known whether anyone who is infected but not showing symptoms can spread the virus. There is one, but health authorities in China, the U.S. and elsewhere are working to make it more widely available.

BANGKOK – British Airways halted all flights to China and American Airlines suspended Los Angeles flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing as efforts to contain a new virus intensifies. The number of confirmed cases jumped to 7,711, surpassing the 5,327 in mainland China from SARS. The airline cited “the significant decline in demand for travel to and from China.” Flights from Dallas-Fort Worth will continue, the airline said. -Korean Air, South Korea’s biggest airline, said it is also considering grounding some of its flights to mainland China as passenger demand drops. -Taiwan’s Eva Air announced a partial cancellation of flights to and from mainland China for two weeks starting Feb. 2.

SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist at UT Health San Antonio, says the U.S. has “no need to panic right now" amid international efforts to contain the coronavirus that began in China. At least 17 deaths have been reported in China, where more than 500 cases are now confirmed. “Lots of travel and transmissible diseases can lead to increased numbers of cases,” Bowling said. “It appears to be a respiratory disease,” Bowling said. Bowling said technology helped unlock the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus strain.