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(Sharing 8/29/2026) Biweekly CHW Message: After-the-Storm Edition: Staying Cool Without Power

  • 2 days ago
  • 6 min read

After-the-Storm Edition: Staying Cool Without Power

  • About 60,000 people in San Antonio remain without power right now. Heavily affected since Friday: much of 78207, the SA Food Bank, Animal Care Services, SAPL branches at Las Palmas, San Pedro and Bazan, multiple Opportunity Home locations, the Pearsall Park area and part of the Lackland area.

  • Heat indexes (the "feels like" temperature) are expected to reach 104-106 degrees over the next few days. 

  • So please check on neighbors (Heat Health Check tool), especially anyone dependent on electric medical devices.

  • Resiliency Hubs that will be open overnight and through 4 PM Sunday (get there free with VIA):

  • Meats and cheeses stay safe in refrigerators for only 4 hours during an outage. Don't get sick, follow Food Safety During Power Outage from FoodSafety.gov.

  • Always use generators in a well ventilated area, not indoors.

  • Never touch downed power lines or objects resting on electrical equipment. Report a downed power line to CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357). 

  • The City’s Brush Collection Center at 1800 Wurzbach Parkway (78216) will be open Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with fees waived for residents disposing of storm-related brush.

  • To help emergency management officials understand the extent of damage, the City encourages residents to complete a self-assessment survey online (iSTAT).

  • For other updates: @cosagov and COSA Hot Weather page

 

Spotlight: Wild Animal Rabies

Texas is experiencing a wild animal rabies outbreak, with San Antonio seeing about 10x the expected number of cases for this time of year. The map on the right shows that it's mostly bats and skunks, with a concentration along the San Antonio-to-Austin corridor. When there's this much rabies going around, you can expect more danger for our pets -- and last week, San Antonio had its first rabid pet dog in more than 10 years. The dog had killed a baby skunk about a month prior, but Animal Care Services was not made aware. 

Top things to know about rabies:

  • It's an infection spread by saliva or bites that causes confusion, difficulty swallowing (which leads to drooling), seizures and sometimes paralysis. In animals, the disease is fatal.

  • We have wild animal rabies in every part of San Antonio right now, not just the neighborhoods that have made the news.

  • Avoid feeding or handling wild animals, and teach kids to do the same. Especially if you see a bat, skunk, raccoon or fox out in the middle of the day.

    • About bats: Curious kids love to pick up dead or injured bats, so the attached DSHS flyer is for them.  Bats don't always leave a bite mark. Just as you might not be able to see where an injection was given -- bat teeth are so small that bites can go unnoticed.

  • If you may have been exposed, call Animal Care Services (311) to capture the animal for testing. See a medical provider promptly -- don't blow it off, because by the time rabies symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.

  • Rabies is preventable by keeping dogs and cats vaccinated.

Infectious Diseases In the News

  • A typical back-to-school COVID bump appears to be building. While fewer people are hospitalized these days, seniors remain disproportionately affected. Ventilation, frequent handwashing, masking in crowded indoor spaces and vaccination are still good ways to protect ourselves. (Dashboards: CDC | DSHS | TexWEB wastewater | Walgreens Respiratory Illness Index | National wastewater.)

  • Since my last update, the U.S. added 211 measles cases for a total of 2,777 in 2026, with news reports of 2 deaths, not yet confirmed by CDC.

  • New World Screwworm cases are slowing down. Texas has 46 confirmed animal cases, none in Bexar County (Screwworm.texas.gov).

  • Ebola: No known cases in the U.S. at this time. Public health is monitoring and preparing this concerning outbreak.


Navigation Resources of the Week

  • Animal Care Services offers free or low-cost pet vaccine clinics weekly.

  • If you've been exposed to rabies, University Health ExpressMed is an urgent care (cheaper than an ER) that carries the vaccine. 

  • Medicaid’s eligibility processing backlog grew from 2,000 to 183,000 between January and July (Texans Care for Children). Reminder that CentroMed, CommuniCare and UH have HHSC navigators on-site and are able to fast-track enrollments for kids and pregnant women.

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

  • Sept. 1, noon-1 PM, ChildSafe session on secondary traumatic stress and how it affects frontline workers. Register

  • Sept. 1, 2-3 PM, free blood pressure screenings and produce bags at the Resource Center at Villa Coronado, 11030 Ruidosa St. (78214).  Click here

  • Sept. 2, noon-1:15 PM, Beyond the Pantry: Rethinking Food Security in Newcomer Populations, Switchboard webinar. Register

  • Sept. 3, 2-3 PM, Corazon Ministries mobile medical unit with wound care, glucose tests, STI testing, harm reduction services at the Central Library, 600 Soledad (78205). Click here

  • Sept. 4, 9 AM-4 PM: Texas Gulf Coast CHW/Promotores Association 2026 Conference, in Houston. Info and flyer

  • Sept. 5, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM All for Them vaccines event, Village at the Loop Apartments, 2607 NE Loop 410 (78217). Flyer attached.

  • Sept. 8, 1 PM-2 PM, SACADA Opioid/Fentanyl and Naloxone Awareness and Response Virtual Training. Click here

  • Sept. 8, 2 PM-5 PM, Pre-K 4 SA and UT Health mobile childhood vaccine clinic, 5230 Eisenhauer Rd (78218), appointments required, call 210-450-8961.

  • Sept. 9, 9-2 PM Pathways to Health Neighborhood Clinic with CHW navigation to services, 5121 Crestway Dr., Ste# 507 (78239). Flyer attached

  • Sept. 9, 1 PM-2 PM, City rental assistance application portal opens (second Wednesday of each month)

  • Sept. 10, 2 PM-5 PM, Pre-K 4 SA and UT Health mobile childhood vaccine clinic, 3510 S WW White (78222), appointments required, call 210-450-8961.

  • Sept. 10,  10 AM -11 AM, NACHW webinar: Community Health Workers Supporting Brain Health and People living with Dementia.  Register

  • Sept. 10, 6-7 PM University Health Stop the Bleed Training, 36200 Northwest Parkway, (78249). Register

  • Sept. 10, noon-2 PM, Family Service/ River City Produce discount produce market, 3721 S. Presa St. (78210). Info

  • Sept. 11, 9 AM-11 AM, Haven for Hope fall resource fair, 1 Haven for Hope Way (78207)

  • Sept. 11, 10-11:30 AM Latched Community Resource Day for people who are pregnant or have children under 3 years old, 225 North Swiss St, (78202). Register

  • Sept. 11, YWCA mammogram event, 503 Castroville Rd. (78237). Contact Arlene Mora or Barbara Garcia, 210-433-9922 x212 or x243, amora@ywcasa.org or bgarcia@ywcasa.org

  • Sept. 12, 10-3 PM, CHILL ACT San Antonio Autism Society event with FREE developmental & pre-autism screenings. Click here

  • Sept. 12, 8 AM-noon, free drive-through flu shots from UH and Bexar County, 3505 Pleasanton Rd. (78221).  Registration required

  • Sept. 12, 9 AM-2 PM, mobile women's health bus at the YWCA, 2318 Castroville Rd. (78238)

  • Each week, Westcare puts out a packed, magazine-format roundup of upcoming community events—read it by clicking here. 

  • San Antonio Compassion posts flyers for resources and upcoming events here.

Logistics—How Do I Get…  

VACCINES 

  • Uninsured? For recommended childhood vaccines and some adult vaccines, click the green buttons on this page for Texas Vaccines for Children and Adult Safety Net providers.

  • Insured? Use a pharmacy--it's fast and no-cost to you. The American Pharmacists Association offers this pharmacy map -- filter by walk-in vaccine access, handicap accessibility, hours of operation and spoken languages. (No matter what the map says, it still helps to make an appointment.) 

  • Homebound seniors: Medicare will pay a doctor or other care provider to give flu, COVID-19, Hepatitis B and pneumococcal vaccines in the home, more info here.

  • Everyone is still eligible for COVID vaccines this year, and it is still covered by insurance. Hate the side effects? Look for the non-mRNA formulation (the "protein vaccine" here). 

    • No prescription is required at the major national pharmacy chains.

    • For those without health insurance, this is the best discount coupon I've found ($79 as of July 2026)--still pricey, but cheaper than the treatment pills. 

    • If you are unable to get the vaccine, remember the old standbys of clean air, frequent handwashing, masking, staying away from others who are sick (and also when you're sick). More info

TESTING

  • The federal program for free home tests has ended. Some health insurers still cover these.

  • How to Use Home COVID and Flu Tests:

    • Lab tests are preferred for people with symptoms. If you are unable to obtain a lab test, then repeat your home COVID test every 48 hours for a total of at least two tests.

    • If any result is positive, stay home and away from others for at least 24 hours—until your symptoms are getting better and you’ve haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours (without taking fever reducers). What to Do If You Feel Sick (CDC)

  • Before throwing out an expired home test, see if the expiration date was extended by checking the Expiration Date column of the FDA’s List of Authorized At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests.

TREATMENT 

  • Medications must start quickly (within just 2-3 days for the flu, 5 days for COVID)—so don’t delay getting a test and a diagnosis. 

  • If you are at risk for complications and need antiviral pills: Low-cost online visits are available. Some people are eligible for co-pay assistance from the drug manufacturer. Learn more. 


Junda Woo, MD, MPH (she/they)

Medical Director and Local Health Authority

Interim Assistant Director, Communicable Disease Division

City of San Antonio, Metropolitan Health District





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