Comal County’s COVID-19 Death Toll Now Stands at 401, Active Case Count at 1,633

Seven more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Comal County today, bringing the number of deceased to 401.

The number of active, confirmed-and-probable cases rose to 1,633, with the county reporting 279 new cases of the virus in a statement released this afternoon.

Dead are:

• A New Braunfels man in his 40s who died Sept. 11 at a New Braunfels hospital.
• A New Braunfels woman in her 40s who died Sept. 8 at a Seguin hospital.
• A New Braunfels man in his 60s who died Sept. 12 at a New Braunfels hospital.
• A Canyon Lake man in his 80s who died Sept. 10 at New Braunfels hospital.
• A Bulverde woman in her 60s who died Sept. 12 at a New Braunfels hospital.
• A Canyon Lake woman in her 50s who died Sept. 9 at a New Braunfels hospital.
• A New Braunfels woman in her 50s who died Sept. 11 at a New Braunfels hospital.

Ninety-two of the 279 new cases reported are in residents under the age of 20.

In a statement, Comal County also confirmed two more deaths.

Of the new cases, 193 are confirmed and 86 are probable. Another 153 recoveries were reported.

The seven-day molecular positivity rate is 14.68%, and the seven-day antigen positivity rate is 9.85%. The TSA P percentage is 16.81%.

County hospitals are caring for 51 COVID-19 patients. Fifteen are in intensive care and six are on ventilators.

Approximately 95% of these patients are unvaccinated.

Not all patients in Comal County hospitals are necessarily county residents. Not all county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 are in Comal County hospitals.

Twenty-three residents included in today’s active case count are hospitalized.

Location Breakdown of New Cases

• New Braunfels – 139
• North of Canyon Lake – 24
• South of Canyon Lake – 25
• South Comal County (Garden Ridge) – 3
• Bulverde/Spring Branch – 87
• Fair Oaks – 1

Age Range of New Cases

• Under 20 – 92
• 20s – 31
• 30’s/40’s – 90
• 50s/60s – 48
• 70 and older – 18

Testing Information

As of Tuesday morning, Public Health reports

• 160,920 tests conducted
• 9,855 confirmed cases
• 7,400probable cases
• 24 suspect cases

Location Breakdown of All Cases

Of the 17,279 confirmed-and-probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:

• New Braunfels (includes Eastern and Central Comal) – 11,708
• Western Comal County (includes Bulverde and Spring Branch) – 2,756
• South of Canyon Lake – 1,174
• North of Canyon Lake – 984
• Southern Comal County (includes Garden Ridge and Schertz) – 577
• Fair Oaks Ranch – 80

Vaccinations

Comal County’s Public Health Department is now administering Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to those 18 years and older and Pfizer vaccines for anyone 12 years and older.

This includes a third dose of either vaccine for anyone who is moderately to severely immunocompromised.

“COVID numbers are at an all-time high and getting vaccinated is still our best shield against the virus,” Public Health Director Cheryl Fraser said in a statement Aug. 30. “We encourage those who have not received the vaccine to consider it. Individuals who are immunocompromised and qualify for the third dose are now eligible to receive it. The hospitals are finding that most of the COVID patients are unvaccinated and very ill.”

People who meet the following criteria are now eligible for a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least four weeks after a second dose:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge or Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes).
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune system.

Those who received either a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine series should receive a third dose of the same mRNA vaccine. No additional doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine are currently recommended.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines for moderately to severely immunocompromised people, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Probable Cases

“Probable case” is a category established by the Texas Department of State Health Services to describe those who do not have a positive PCR test for COVID-19 but meet two of the three criteria:

• Meets clinical criteria and epidemiologic linkage with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for SARS-CoV-2.
• Meets presumptive laboratory evidence, which is the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by antigen test in a respiratory specimen.
• Meets vital records criteria with no confirmatory laboratory evidence for SARS-CoV-2.

A probable case is treated identically to a confirmed case and counts toward the county’s positivity rate and total case tally.

Suspected Cases

A ‘suspect’ case meets supportive laboratory evidence with no prior history of being a confirmed or probable case. It is also counted toward the total case tally. Supportive laboratory evidence means:

• • Detection of a specific antibody in serum, plasma, or whole blood.
  • Detection of specific antigen by immunocytochemistry in an autopsy specimen.