San Antonio Metro Health Dashboard Fails to Reflect Recent COVID-19 Case Increases
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District's respiratory illness dashboard has not been updated for four months, failing to reflect an increase in COVID-19 cases observed in late August and September. Public health experts have noted a consistent pattern of late summer increases in COVID-19 cases over the past three years, often coinciding with the start of the school year. However, Metro Health's dashboard, which tracks trends for influenza, RSV, and COVID-19, remains outdated. Metro Health stated that it typically does not update the dashboard between June and September, as these months are traditionally associated with lower rates of respiratory illnesses. Dr. Jason Bowling, a professor of infectious diseases at UT San Antonio, emphasized that respiratory illnesses should not be considered solely a 'winter thing.' Despite the lack of public dashboard updates, Metro Health maintains communication with local doctors and hospitals regarding public health concerns.
