omicron

One year after the COVID-19 omicron variant began its spread across Texas, doctors are concerned about the effects of 'long COVID' — even as case numbers and hospitalizations have declined.

The largest COVID-19 tester for local schools reports a high positivity rate among students returning from winter break.

The governor asked the federal government for help opening test sites in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo and Tarrant counties.

Hospitals are not the place to get a COVID-19 test, Bexar County and San Antonio health officials said Friday. Cases driven by the Omicron variant are rising, and civic leaders asked residents to reduce their contact with others as the year comes to a close.

The burning questions: What makes this newly identified variant so transmissible? And what does it mean for preventing spread?

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to testing for the coronavirus, and the appropriate test will differ depending on your situation.

The highly contagious omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Texas. Hospitalizations are beginning to increase in a health care system already troubled by staffing shortages.

"We must expand the availability of COVID-19 testing and our hospital capacity now," a statement from the Texas Restaurant Association says.

Healthcare workers on the Texas-Mexico border are concerned about the incoming wave of omicron, and they report a very low supply of the therapy that could keep infected individuals out of hospitals.

Local elected leaders are urging local residents to keep their guard up against COVID-19 during holiday gatherings this Christmas and New Year's.