As millions of Texans isolate themselves in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, state officials are working to ramp up the use of telemedicine. But many health plans are outside of their regulatory authority.
Edgar Walters
Edgar Walters worked at the Tribune from 2013 to 2020, most recently covering health and human services. Before that, he had a political reporting fellowship with the Berliner Zeitung, a daily newspaper in Berlin. He is a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he worked as an editor for The Daily Texan. When not in the newsroom or at the Capitol, he could be found on the volleyball court, standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas hospitals don’t have enough beds for coronavirus patients if too many people get sick at once
Texas has about 2.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people — less than one-fourth the rate of South Korea.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas governor declares statewide emergency, says state will soon be able to test thousands
Gov. Greg Abbott also announced drive-through testing capabilities in San Antonio, which could expand to Dallas, Houston and Austin in the coming weeks.
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Coronavirus in Texas
She’s a Texas nurse who treats cancer patients — and she can’t get a coronavirus test. That’s not unusual.
Unless a patient is sick enough to be hospitalized, state criteria for lab testing are difficult to meet. And state officials have yet to say how many Texans in total have been tested.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas’ first case of possible community spread of coronavirus highlights lack of testing
Officials said the patient attended a Feb. 28 barbecue at the popular Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, though it’s unclear if he had symptoms at the time.
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Coronavirus in Texas
5 million Texans lack health insurance. Here’s how that complicates the coronavirus response.
Texas has the highest share of uninsured residents of any state, with nearly 18% of people lacking health coverage, and many are unable to take paid sick leave from work. Experts say that makes it harder to contain an outbreak.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas labs can now test for coronavirus, but capacity remains limited
The state lab in Austin can only test samples from up to 26 patients per day, while labs in Houston and El Paso can test up to 15 samples daily, officials said.
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Coronavirus in Texas
What can Texas do if a coronavirus outbreak hits?
While Texas has not yet seen “community spread” of coronavirus, U.S. health officials have told states to begin considering special measures in case of a COVID-19 outbreak.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas man tests positive for coronavirus in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend Health and Human Services said the Houston-area man is in his 70s and recently traveled abroad.
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Homeless in Texas
Abbott says the homeless need mental health care. Advocates say Medicaid expansion would help.
Abbott has long opposed extending state-funded health coverage to 1.5 million Texans under the Affordable Care Act. But a spokesman for the governor did not rule out a possible coverage expansion under a new Trump administration block grant policy.