AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Daily deaths from coronavirus infections in the official Texas count fell from record levels to the third-biggest total the state recorded Thursday.
New confirmed cases reported to the state also fell.
State health officials Thursday reported 173 deaths linked to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. That was down from Wednesday’s record of 197 deaths and last Friday’s previous high of 174. The official total death toll in Texas since outbreak tracking began in early March rose to 4,521.
The state reported 9,507 new cases, 372 off Wednesday’s total that now tops 361,000 for in Texas since tracking began. Meanwhile, 8,858 patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses were hospitalized in Texas on Thursday, down from 10,893 hospitalized patients Wednesday.
The state does not include probable cases in its totals. The true number of cases is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms like fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.
