Category: Corona Virus Vaccine

While tracking Georgia's COVID-19 data we noticed 14 deaths disappeared.

ATLANTA In Georgia, there are now more than 52,000 confirmed casesand over 2,200 deaths, as of Monday.

But it's important to not just look at the numbers, but to analyze what they mean and add perspective.

According to a report generated on May 29, and provided to 11Alive through an open records request, we can now see the county breakdown of how many people have died at the hospital, with COVID-19. The report says that of the around 7,700 hospitalizations, 19 percent of those patients, 1,446 had died.

On that same day, Georgia Emergency Management reported 891 active patients. If you subtract out both those groups, you end up with 5,397. That number represents COVID-19 recoveries, people who were the most seriously ill and went to the hospital, but have since gone home.

Over the weekend, a nurse reached out to us after she noticed the number of fatalities reported on the Department of Public Health's daily status report dropped by 14 people.

Is this possible? How can the number of deaths go down?

We have been tracking this and dozens of other metrics everyday and noticed this change as well. Usually it's a confirmed positive case getting moved back in time or shifted to another county as DPH learns more.

This time, a DPH spokesperson said their quality control team found duplicates.

In a written statement she said, "We can get the same death reported by more than one source. Or sometimes it's a name that was misspelled and resubmitted without being identified as a correction. Many are simply clerical errors."

There are a lot of decisions being made using this data, and as frustrated as we may get with it, national groups like covidtracking.com give Georgia an A for its data quality. And fixing mistakes when theyre caught, is one reason why.

11Alive is focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. We want to keep you informed about the latest developments while ensuring that we deliver confirmed, factual information.

We will track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.

OTHER CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES:

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Here's why some Georgia COVID-19 death numbers disappeared over the weekend - 11Alive.com WXIA

Here's how an unapproved drug like remdesivir, used in COVID-19 treatments, is legal, even if it's unapproved by the FDA with unknown results. USA TODAY

Finding a way to protect against COVID-19 would transform the fight against the coronavirus that has spread across the world since late last year.

Pharmaceutical companies and doctors have been hunting for drugs to treat COVID-19and launched a major effort to develop a vaccine against it, but they haven't focused as much on therapies for preventing infection before or after someone is exposed to the virus that causes the disease.

"The idea of having a way of preventing the infection and/or symptoms remains a critical need," said Dr. Susanna Naggie, vice dean for clinical research and an associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine.

That's why there was so much excitement over the drug hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump said he was taking for a while, to avoid infection with the virus. A study published last week found hydroxychloroquine failed to prevent infection. Other studies are ongoing, including some larger ones, that will confirm or contradict that finding.

Despite President Trump's thoughts, drug and disease experts seem to agree that hydroxychloroquine is not a proven preventative measure for COVID-19. USA TODAY

Hydroxychloroquine has received the most scientific attention undergoing more than 200 ongoing trials both because it was one of the earliest drugs available to be consideredand because Trump's support drove public interest.

Now that questions have been raised about its effectiveness, focus is slowly beginning to turn elsewhere, and trials of other approaches, from medications to mouthwashes, are beginning.

Even though some of those approaches already are well used, it will be months before scientists will know whether they can prevent COVID-19.

The negative attention on hydroxychloroquine has made it much harder for researchers to get enough volunteers to complete trials of the drug, said Naggie, who is helping to lead one of the largest.

Naggie said her team had hoped to quickly get 15,000 health care workers to volunteer to take hydroxychloroquine and finish her study in five or six months. Instead, only about 800 have signed up, and she expects her study to take months longer.

Public opinion of the drug has suffered, she said, in response to the politics and observational studies such as one in The Lancet, which has since been retracted, that raised questions about its effectiveness and risks in patients very sick with COVID-19.

Her $50 million study, called Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes, or HERO, willbe useful to definitively answer the question about hydroxychloroquines effectiveness for pre-exposure prevention, she said.

Other prevention approaches are likely to be added to the study in the hopesthat one or more will eventually prove useful against the virus.

"The level of enthusiasm for something that is not hydroxychloroquine will be much higher," Naggie predicted. "The politicization of hydroxychloroquine, as well as the data that has come out in the inpatient setting, made a murky picture for this drug in particular."

When it comes to searching for a drug to prevent COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine has gotten most of the attention. But research is underway to look at other options that may be effective.(Photo: David J. Phillip, AP)

More: A coronavirus vaccine could require you to get two shots. Here's why.

More: In the race for a coronavirus vaccine, can Operation Warp Speed avoid politics?

A prevention approach differs from a vaccine, though it may be useful in combination, Naggie said. A vaccine hopefully provides long-term protection; a prophylaxis could help in the case of an exposure, or ongoing risk, such as to a health care worker.

For the flu, for example, an annual vaccine is not 100% effective, though it can reduce risk of serious infection. Many people exposed to the flu are prescribed the antiviral Tamiflu to help limit the infection. In HIV, for which researchers have tried for decades to develop a vaccine, people at high risk for the infection canbe prescribed the same drug cocktail for prevention as is used for treatment.

There are no federally approved treatments for COVID-19, though the anti-viral drug remdesivir has shown some effectiveness against it and isroutinely used in many places. For now, remdesivir is delivered only intravenously, so it is not a good option for people looking to prevent disease.

Researchers hope that whatever works as a treatment will also prevent initial infection and visa versa.

In a gigantic global trial called Solidarity, the World Health Organization is testing four different approaches to treating COVID-19: hydroxychloroquine, remdesivirand two combinations of drugs used to combat HIV, Lopinavir and Ritonavir, andLopinavir and Ritonavir plus the multiple sclerosis drug Interferon beta-1a. The two-drug combination was tested in China early in the outbreak and shown not to work as a treatment in very serious disease, but there issome hope that it might work in lesser infections.

Romark, a pharmaceutical company based in Tampa, Florida, is running two different trials of its candidate drug nitazoxanide, which has long been used to treat "traveler's diarrhea." For the past 15 years, the company has been studying whether it can be used to prevent a wide range of respiratory viruses.

Romark is testing the drug in 800 people in nursing homesand800 health care workers and first respondersto see whether it can prevent infection in people who have been exposed to the coronavirus. They hope to have results by the end of the summer, said Marc Ayers, Romark CEO.

Although it's too soon to know whether the drug will be successful, if it is, Romark will be prepared to produce as much as 200 million pills by the end of the year at its production facility in Puerto Rico, Ayers said.

For the trial, the pills will be given twice a day for six weeks. In nursing homes, once someone in the facility has COVID-19, Ayers said, he hopesnitazoxanide will stop the virus from spreading. Nursing homes are eligible to join the trial if they have an outbreak, he said, and the company pledged to enroll a nursing home within 72 hours of first contact with the company.

"We're working with a sense of urgency," he said.

Dr. Alexandra Kejner was in her third trimester of pregnancy and struggling with insomnia this spring when it struck her that the iodine she uses to sterilize the nose and throat of her patients might help clear COVID-19.

"That's what I wash my hands with before surgery,"said Kejner, an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, adding it's also used for wound packing and sinus disease, and is relatively safe and affordable.

Kejner, the mother of a 2-month-old girl, has since launched a major study examining a specific concentration of iodine to prevent COVID-19. The aim is to coat the inside of the nose and mouth to prevent the virus from getting a foothold.

She's started to enroll 300 patients in the trial, as have collaborators at George Washington University and Louisiana State University.

Eligible participants use the carefully dosediodine nasal spray and gargle with it three times a day. Originally, they were going to be asked to use a nasal swab similar to the COVID-19 testing swabs, but Kejners husband tried it and vetoed it.

"No one will do this three times a day," he warned. So she changed the protocol.

The trial will include two groups of participants: patients hospitalized for non-COVID-19 reasonsand health care workers exposed to COVID-19 patients. To enroll, each participant will be tested to ensure he or she is notinfectedand screened for allergies to iodine.

For health care workers,Kejner said she sees iodine as a "second line of defense" in case they don't have enough personal protective equipment or it fails to keep them safe.

She hopes to have at least preliminary data within the next two to three months.

Dr. Michael Paasche-Orlow, a professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, said he wishes such trials had started sooner, so more results could arrive this summer.

The federal government, he said, focused too much on hydroxychloroquine instead of spreading the research into different prevention approaches.

"The early enthusiasm distorted the market," he said. "Why would we have 200 recent studies about hydroxychloroquine and not more diversity of projects? It feels that there was a missed opportunity."

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

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Could COVID-19 be prevented before it starts? Some researchers are looking for a way. - USA TODAY

Our numbers team looks at whether thousands gathering across Georgia has reflected in any changes in our COVID-19 cases.

ATLANTA In the last week, thousands of people from across Georgia, the United States, and the world have gathered to protest police brutality after the death of George Floyd.

This comes as states start to lift shelter-in-place orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. So the question on many people's minds is how themass gatherings will impactthe spread of the virus?

Because the data lags a few weeks, the numbers we are getting right now are from at least two weeks ago.

It takes a while for the virus to incubate - up to 14 days. In the first few days, most people are symptom-free. If you're feeling fine, you're not likely to get a test. The chances are that people who go get tested already had the virus for several days without a strict quarantine.

So, when thinking about the protests that started over a week ago, people could just now be feeling symptoms if they were exposed to COVID-19.

Once you get a test, it could take up to five days to get the results and for that to be reported to the state. It's likely we won't know how the mass gatherings will impact the COVID-19 numbers for two weeks.

As for new cases, we had on average 613 new cases reported each day last week. The week prior we had 559 new cases per day on average in Georgia.

And for the first time in more than a week, we saw the number of people being treated for COVID-19 at the hospitals increase.

As a reporter who was out covering the protests, 11Alive's Rebecca Lindstrom took the mayor's advice and went to get tested.

She first went onto her county's health department website and signed up to get a test. The health department contacted her saying she had an appointment the next afternoon.

After months of investigating the problems with testing in Georgia, from testing shortages to some waiting up to 12 days for test results, Lindstrom experienced a smoother and faster experience. She received her test results less than 24 hours after her test.

"I was able to log in online to get my results. I'm happy to say it was negative," said Lindstrom.

Lindstrom, along with the rest of the 11Alive numbers team, is continuing to monitor and analyze the latest COVID-19 data.

Of course, keeping an eye on the impact on the black community. Right now, African Americans make up about the same number of COVID-19 positive cases as white people while only representing a third of Georgia's population.

What's also troubling is the number of cases marked as unknown on the Georgia Department of Health's website.

OTHER HEADLINES:

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How will protests impact the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia? - 11Alive.com WXIA

Scientist Xinhua Yan works in the lab at Moderna in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Feb. 28, 2020.

David L. Ryan | Boston Globe | Getty Images

More Covid-19 vaccines are being developed by researchers in the United States than in any other country, according to the WHO.

The WHO's most recent update on global vaccine development projects, published Tuesday, showed there are currentlyat least133vaccines being tested around the world.

U.S. institutions are working on the highest number of these 42 according to the WHO's list, and Chinese research facilities are working on 19, meaning China is developing the second-highest number of vaccines.

Of the 133 vaccines, 10 vaccines are in the clinical trial phase (meaning they are being tested on human volunteers) and 123vaccines are in the preclinical trial phase.

China is working on more projects in the clinical trial phase than any other country, with the U.S. following close behind.

Projects that have progressed to clinical trials include Moderna's potential vaccine, which the U.S. company said generated some positive data in early tests last month. However, vaccine experts later expressed skepticismabout the company's data. The firm's chairman told CNBC that it would never put out data on its vaccine that varied from "reality."

Another vaccine undergoing human trials is being developed at Oxford University in England, which pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has agreed to manufacture and distribute at cost. The project, which aims to roll out 30 million doses of the immunization in the U.K. within months if successful, recently received $1 billion in U.S. government funding.

At least 123further potential vaccines are being investigated around the world, according to the WHO, but these are in the earlier "preclinical evaluation" phase of trials meaning they may never be tested on humans.

A number of the projects listed by the WHO are cross-border collaborations, meaning researchers in more than one country are contributing.

Regionally, Europe has the most Covid-19 vaccines in development, with experts at 56 European institutions looking for potential immunizations. There are 54 vaccine projects being conducted across North America, and 25 vaccines being researched in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the WHO's data.

Despite hundreds of scientists looking for a vaccine for the new coronavirus, however, experts have warned that an effective immunization for Covid-19 may never be found. Many have also warned that any successful vaccine would take around 12 to 18 months to be safely rolled out to the market.

Experts have also warned that even if an effective vaccine becomes available,significant logistical challenges will remainaround distributing enough doses for the global population.

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This map shows where coronavirus vaccines are being tested around the world - CNBC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Eighteen new cases of Covid 19 were discovered in West Virginia in the last 12 hours. Saturdays numbers released by the West Virginia DHHR reflected 2,131 cases of the virus since Fridays update.

The cumulative of positive cases compared to the number of tests administered was 1.94 percent. The daily percent positive was .93 percent.

There have been 84 deaths in West Virginia attributed to the Covid 19 Corona virus. The number took a jump Friday when five deaths were announced. DHHR officials reported no additional fatalities from he virus on Saturday.

As of Saturday 109,657 tests have been performed in West Virginia. Those tests continued for a second day in McDowell, Harrison, and Ohio Counties. Those tests are available to anyone seeking to be tested and are part of the ongoing effort to provide free tests to those in minority communities and the medically under served in West Virginia.

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Eighteen new positive cases of Covid 19 in W.Va. - West Virginia MetroNews

June 6, 2020, 9:02 AM

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As evidence mounts that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted through your eyes, researchers suggest that people in high-risk categories should wear eye protection, in addition to practicing social distancing and wearing a mask.

People in high-risk categories, as indicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions, in addition to frontline workers.

The CDC has not issued formal guidance to the general public for eye protection wear, only for health care workers.

The agency website says that people should wear eye protection in "areas with moderate to substantial community transmission" but that in areas with little to no community transmission "eye protection is considered optional, unless otherwise indicated as part of standard precautions."

When it comes to coronavirus transmission through the eyes, it's not just touching your eyes that is potentially dangerous. Research suggests that the virus can also possibly transmit through the eyes, mouth and nose, from direct exposure of a droplet from coughing, sneezing or even yelling.

Nurse Amy Tyson adjusts her personal protective equipment before caring for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit at Sharp Memorial Hospital amidst the coronavirus pandemic on May 6, 2020, in San Diego.

A recent study published in Lancet reviewed the risk of viral transmission with social distancing, face covering and eye protection. Although not conclusive, this large study suggests that you are three times less likely to get COVID-19 if you wear eye protection.

Specifically, the study shows that face shields, goggles and glasses were associated with a lower risk of infection compared to no eye covering, with a reduction of risk to 6% from 16%.

Hospitals and health care settings have different policies in place to protect individuals from COVID-19 transmission through the eyes, according to Dr. Todd Ellerin, chief of infection prevention at South Shore Health.

"It is my recommendation that for our patients, our universal precautions should include wearing a mask, a face shield, and hand hygiene," he told ABC News.

Medical workers don personal protective equipment before entering the room of a patient with COVID-19 in a Stamford Hospital intensive care unit, on April 24, 2020, in Stamford, Conn.

But what about outside of the hospital, in everyday life?

According to some researchers, it might be a good idea for everyday people to don eye protection in addition to a mask - especially if you have an underlying medical condition or you work in a job with a lot of interface with the public, such as at a grocery store.

"We know from feline and mouse models of other coronaviruses that infection through the eye is possible. However, given the above evidence, wearing eye protection in high-risk situations seems prudent," said Dr. Vincente Diaz, specialist in ocular immunology and infectious diseases and assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Yale University School of Medicine.

"If choosing between glasses and contacts, glasses can provide an additional protective barrier. If in a situation where one may come in contact with COVID positive patients, PPE with a shield can provide more protection."

We are still learning about COVID-19, but from what we do know, this highly contagious virus can introduce itself to the body through many entries. If worn, eye protection should be used with the other transmission-mitigating measures, including a face mask, social distancing and basic hand hygiene.

Ayodola Adigun, M.D., is a fellow in child and adolescent psychiatry at Yale University and contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.

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Why eye protection might be a necessary precaution against COVID-19 - ABC News

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 189 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the statewide total to 14,442 since the outbreak began. There have been 809 deaths across Missouri from COVID-19, which is up 10 from Friday.State health officials said that increased testing will be reflected in the numbers. Additionally, some counties are catching up on reporting.The state said it has tested a total of 229,867 people through PCR testing a test that looks for the virus in the nose, throat or other areas of the respiratory tract to determine if there is an active infection and 6.2% of those were positive. The state said it has tested28,480 through serology testing a test that looks for antibodies in the blood and 3.9% of those were positive.[ DHSS COVID-19 DATA DASHBOARD ]The area with the highest concentration of cases remains in the St. Louis area. Data released Saturday shows St. Louis County accounts for 5,029 of the 14,442 cases in the state. St. Louis city reports 1,919 cases and St. Charles County reports 835 cases.The DHSS reports 1,501 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 696 cases in eastern Jackson County. Health officials said there have been 27 deaths in Kansas City, and Jackson County reports 22 total.The state also lists 226 total cases in Clay County (outside of Kansas City), 77 in Platte and 102 in Cass County.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 189 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, bringing the statewide total to 14,442 since the outbreak began. There have been 809 deaths across Missouri from COVID-19, which is up 10 from Friday.

State health officials said that increased testing will be reflected in the numbers. Additionally, some counties are catching up on reporting.

The state said it has tested a total of 229,867 people through PCR testing a test that looks for the virus in the nose, throat or other areas of the respiratory tract to determine if there is an active infection and 6.2% of those were positive. The state said it has tested28,480 through serology testing a test that looks for antibodies in the blood and 3.9% of those were positive.

[ DHSS COVID-19 DATA DASHBOARD ]

The area with the highest concentration of cases remains in the St. Louis area. Data released Saturday shows St. Louis County accounts for 5,029 of the 14,442 cases in the state. St. Louis city reports 1,919 cases and St. Charles County reports 835 cases.

The DHSS reports 1,501 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 696 cases in eastern Jackson County. Health officials said there have been 27 deaths in Kansas City, and Jackson County reports 22 total.

The state also lists 226 total cases in Clay County (outside of Kansas City), 77 in Platte and 102 in Cass County.

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Missouri cases of COVID-19 climb 189, bringing total to 14,442 since outbreak began - KMBC Kansas City

As the global death toll of Covid-19 surpasses 390,000, the spread of the virus continues to accelerate in parts of Latin America and Eastern Europe, according to the World Health Organization.

Daily new confirmed cases are pushing new highs, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, with an all-time high of 130,400 new cases confirmed around the world on Wednesday.

Brazil is the second hardest hit country in terms of number of cases, with the third highest deaths in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Despite that, Reuters reported that President Jair Bolsonaro threatened to pull out of the WHO.

In Asia, India's cases surpassed those of Italy, making it the sixth hardest hit country by numbers of case, according to Hopkins data.

In the U.S., cases have been on a gradual rise since Memorial Day weekend, a CNBC analysis of Hopkins data shows. The country is nonetheless pushing forward with reopening. Some of the largest Las Vegas casinos reopened on Thursday, and New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, is slated to move into its first phase of reopening on Monday.

This is CNBC's live blog covering all the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be updated throughout the day as the news breaks.

The data above was compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

An Hindu priest of the Bade Hanuman temple sanitises the wall of Hanuman temple after the government eased restrictions as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Allahabad on June 5, 2020.

Sanjay Kanojia | AFP | Getty Images

3:28 p.m. Singapore time India's Ministry of Health reported another 9,887 confirmed cases of coronavirus, taking its total to 236,657. That now makes India the sixth hardest hit country as its cumulative cases top those of Italy, according to Hopkins data.

India also reported another 294 deaths, bringing its total to 6,642, according to the health ministry. Christine Wang

10:26 a.m. Singapore time Reuters reported that President Jair Bolsonaro threatened to pull Brazil out of the World Health Organization. He told journalists the country would consider leaving the agency, unless it ceases to be a "partisan political organization," Reuters reported.

On Thursday, Brazil reported a record number of daily deaths from the disease, taking the country's death toll past that of Italy's. Brazil now has the second highest number of confirmed cases and third highest death toll globally, according to Hopkins data.

Health officials have repeatedly that ideally countries would not ease lockdowns until coronavirus transmission rates fall. Bolsonaro has continued to push for lifting restrictions, arguing that the economic damage is greater than the health risks, Reuters reported.

An editorial in a local newspaper said, according to Reuters, that it has been about 100 days since Bolsonaro called the virus a "little flu" and now Covid-19 is "killing a Brazilian per minute." Christine Wang

6:40 p.m. ET In March and April, shares of Boeing and Airbus were at multiyear lows, as orders for planes dried up and losses mounted amid the pandemic.

In two of the past four months, Airbus recorded zero orders for new planes, and for May some analysts expect Boeing to post a fifth straight month of no order growth, CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports. The order drought forced both companies to lower production schedules and to plan for thousands of job cuts.

The outlook still looks rough for the plane makers, but shares of Boeing and Airbus are both up more than 40% in the last month as air travel is showing signs of recovery. The Transportation Security Administration screened 391,882 people at airport security checkpoints in the U.S., the highest number of screenings since March 22. Chris Eudaily

A man enters a Shoe City store as Los Angeles County retail businesses reopen while the COVID-19 pandemic continues on May 27, 2020 in Glendale, California.

David McNew | Getty Images

5 30 p.m. ETCalifornia is set to lift major restrictions next week, include allowing schools and day camps to reopen statewide. Counties that have met certain health criteria can also reopen bars, gyms, campgrounds and professional sports, according to the Associated Press.

Most of the new businesses allowed to reopen are part of the third phase in the state's reopening plan. Hannah Miller

4:30 p.m. ETThe Women's National Basketball Association is considering resuming a 22-game season starting July 24, according to a report from ESPN.

Players would receive 60% of their normal salaries under the plan, but details have not been released concerning player housing or play-off structure. The report follows the National Basketball Association's approval of a plan that would include resuming the season on July 31 with 22 teams in Florida. Hannah Miller

3:49 p.m. ET A surprisingly strong May jobs report has widened the gulf between Republicans and Democrats on how to proceed with the economic recovery from the coronavirus.

After the U.S. gained 2.5 million jobs for the month, President Donald Trump outlined a fairly short list of priorities such as a payroll tax cut and more stimulus checks for Americans. Vice President Mike Pence told CNBC that the White House would be "open" to more relief for state and local governments to cover budget crunches created by the pandemic.

Despite the gains, the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 13.3%, a level still higher than at any point after the 2008 financial crisis.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said not injecting more money into the economy now would jeopardize the progress made in May. They want more aid for states and municipalities, additional direct payments and an extension of the enhanced federal unemployment benefit, among other provisions.Congress likely will not consider another economic rescue package for weeks. Jacob Pramuk

3:07 p.m. ET White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNBC that the question of whether to reopen schools in the fall has a "complicated answer" and will depend on the coronavirus' transmission in certain regions of the U.S.

"When you're talking about getting back to a degree of normality and school openings and things like that, it's always related to the level of activity of the virus," he said.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said new infections will begin to creep up in the fall and winter months. A second wave of infections later this year is preventable, he said, but it's "the efficiency and effectiveness in which we put the manpower, the systems, the tests to identify, isolate and contact trace, that will determine how successful we are in preventing that wave."

Fauci also said he has "no doubt" that Americans who aren't wearing face masks, especially in large crowds, are increasing the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

His comment came a day after the director of the CDC said he worried Americans aren't following the agency's advice, which includes wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.Noah Higgins-Dunn, Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

2:55 p.m. ET Hollywood is eager to get cameras rolling again, but the industry wants to ensure sets are as safe as possible.

Until a vaccine is widely distributed, film production is going to need to establish a new normal. Making movies and television has always been a very collaborative endeavor. However, many of the on-set jobs are done in close proximity, and adding a 6 foot social distancing rule could make that work much more difficult.

CNBC spoke with four film industry experts to get a sense of how crews could adapt to temporary Covid-19 regulations and how film production as a whole, from script to final edit, could be altered forever.

Ultimately, these restrictions could change the types of scripts that are written and optioned and could be a chance for independent projects to flourish.Sarah Whitten

2:46 p.m. ET The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to take its toll on the global automotive industry from U.S. automakers tofamed luxury carmakers such as Bentley and Aston Martin.

Volkswagen-owned Bentley said it plans to eliminate up to 1,000 jobs, nearly a quarter of its workforce, through a "voluntary release" program as its business plans have been "clearly derailed by the impact of the pandemic."

Bentley's cuts come a day after fellow British automakerAston Martinsaid it plans to cut up to 500 jobs, "reflecting lower than originally planned production volumes and improved productivity across the business." It employs about 2,600 people globally.Michael Wayland

2:29 p.m. ET The number of fatalities from Covid-19 in New York state was 42 on Thursday, hitting an all-time low since the outbreak began, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. The state also reported the lowest number of total hospitalizations to date.

In late May, the number of lives lost from the virus fell below 100 for the first time since March 24. The daily death toll has been on a steady decline from the height of the state's outbreak in March and early April when close to 800 people were dying every day, according to state data.

Cuomo said New York was able to make significant progress because of its residents, who "changed their fundamental behaviors" and followed social distancing guidelines.

"Eight weeks ago we had 800. Eight weeks. 800 people dying to 42 people dying in eight weeks. Amazing. 'How did you do that?' I did nothing," he said.Jasmine Kim

People wearing masks and gloves wait to checkout at Walmart on April 03, 2020 in Uniondale, New York.

Al Bello | Getty Images

2:05 p.m. ET The World Health Organization said it recommends that governments ask everyone to wear fabric face masks in public in hopes of reducing the spread of Covid-19, updated guidance released by the organizationstates, according to Reuters.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO technical lead expert on Covid-19, told Reuters the organization is specifically recommending a fabric face mask because it is a non-medical mask.

The WHO has previously said there was not enough evidence in support or against the use of face masks, though the organization has always recommended them for someone who is sick or who is caring for that person, according to Reuters.

The WHO continues to recommend that all health-care workers dealing with patients who have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having Covid-19 should wear medical masks, Reuters reported. The WHO now recommends, however, that any staff member in contact with patients or residents in clinics, hospitals, care homes or long-term facilities should also wear masks at all times.Alex Harring

1:40 p.m. ET The record gain in jobs last month is the latest data point that suggests a sharp recovery for the U.S. economy from the pandemic-induced recession.

Unemployment is still above 13%, but payrolls, along with travel demand and oil prices, have made big gains in recent weeks.Jesse Pound

1:26 p.m.ET States that were among the earliest to reopen nonessential businesses and lift restrictions on households are doing "tremendous business," President Donald Trump said, though daily new cases in some of those states are gradually rising.

Trump cited Florida, Georgia and South Carolina specifically, all of which had some of the earliest and most ambitious reopening plans. Some epidemiologists criticized plans in states like Florida and Georgia to reopen businesses even as the daily rate of coronavirus infection continued to climb, defying federal guidance.

Some reopened states, including Florida, have seen cases begin to rise. On Thursday, Florida reported 1,419 new coronavirus cases, its biggest single-day increase since Florida's Department of Health began publishing data on the outbreak.

"Look at what's going on in Florida, it's incredible,"Trump said at a news briefing to discuss better-than-expected jobs numbers. "If you look at so many different places that have opened up ...the ones that are most energetic about opening they are doing tremendous business and this is what these numbers are all about."Will Feuer

1:00 p.m. ET Scientists in the U.K.stopped a large trialof hydroxychloroquine after initial results showed no evidence of the anti-malaria drug's benefit in treating Covid-19.

Martin Landray, an Oxford University professor who is co-leading the trial, said patients will stop being enrolled in the trial immediately as it is "not a treatment" for Covid-19.

"We reviewed the data and concluded there is no evidence of a beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalized with Covid, and decided to stop enrolling patients to the hydroxychloroquine arm with immediate effect," Landray said.

The decision comes one day after The Lancetretracted an influential study that raised alarmsabout the safety of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, which have been considered experimental Covid-19 treatments.

The authors of the study requested the retraction as the data underlying the paper, which they were not directly involved in the collection of, was placed under scrutiny.Alex Harring

A medical worker wears a protective mask as he rides on a Citi Bike outside the Mount Sinai Hospital entrance in Manhattan during the the COVID-19 shutdown on April 26, 2020 in New York City.

Roy Rochlin | Getty Images

12:31 p.m. ET Wednesday marked the first day of no confirmed coronavirus deaths in New York City since March, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The city's first confirmed death from coronavirus came on March 11, with deaths peaking April 7 at a high of 590, according to the city's data. Confirmed deaths have declined since then, falling below 100 on May 9, CNBC's Will Feuer reports.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths account for patients who tested positive for the virus. There were three "probable" coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, meaning the individuals had symptoms of the virus but had not yet been tested, the city reported.

In New York City alone, more than 202,319 people have been infected by Covid-19, and the city has reported 16,992 confirmed deaths. New York City is set to enter phase one of reopening Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. To meet the state's reopening criteria, the city still needs to increase its share of hospital beds available and expand its number of contract tracers deployed. Suzanne Blake

11:37 a.m. ET The U.S. produced 2 million coronavirus vaccine doses that are "ready to go" once scientists figure out whether it is safe and effective, President Donald Trump announced from the White House.

The Trump administration has selected five companies as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus, according to the New York Times.

Trump didn't say Friday which ones have started vaccine production. The U.S. government has been working with biotech firm Moderna on a potential vaccine. The company expects to begin a late-stage trial in July.Berkeley Lovelace, Jr.

Close-up of blue logo on sign with facade of headquarters buildings in background near the headquarters of Apple Computers in the Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California, August 26, 2018.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

9:32 a.m. ET Apple is offering employees Covid-19 nasal swab tests as they return to work, according to a Bloomberg report which cited people familiar with the process.

Employees will also have their temperature taken and they'll be required to wear masks around the office, the report stated.

Apple reportedly intends to keep many of its break-room kitchens closed and it will limit the number of people gathering in confined spaces like elevators.

Apple is one of the first big tech firms to start bringing employees back to the office and the company's approach contrasts with other Silicon Valley firms like Google, Facebook and Twitter.Sam Shead

9:21 a.m. ET A new study revealed that widely used drugs to control high blood pressure may help protect against severe Covid-19.

Overall, coronavirus patients with high blood pressure have an increased risk of death and a higher likelihood of needing mechanical ventilation, researchers in the European Heart Journal reported.

The study found patients taking any type of blood pressure drug had a lower risk of death from the virus than those who were not taking any medicine for hypertension.The evidence so far is from observational studies rather than randomized trials.

"We were quite surprised that these results did not support our initial hypothesis; in fact, the results were in the opposite direction, with a trend in favor of ACE inhibitors and ARBs," said coauthor Fei Li of Xijing Hospital in Xi'an, China.Suzanne Blake

8:45 a.m. ET The jobless rate declined to 13.3%, according to data from the Labor Department, far better than economists were expecting and indicated that an economic turnaround could be close at hand.

Employment stunningly rose by 2.5 million in May, by far the biggest one-month jobs gain in U.S. history since at least 1939.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting payrolls to drop by 8.333 million and the unemployment rate to rise to 19.5% from April's 14.7%.

Read a full report on the U.S. jobless rate from CNBC's Jeff Cox.Melodie Warner

8:10 a.m. ET Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa told a news conference that lockdown measures in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona will be scaled back starting next week.

People will be allowed to eat and drink inside bars and restaurants starting Monday, with children able to play outside at any time of day.

Currently customers of bars and restaurants in the two major cities are only able to eat and drink on outdoor terraces, and children's playtime is restricted to dedicated slots.

More than 240,000 people in Spain have contracted the coronavirus, with 27,133 dying of Covid-19 so far, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Spain has recorded the fifth-highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide, behind the U.S., Brazil, Russia and the U.K. Sam Meredith

7:30 a.m. ET There is "no question" that the coronavirus will spread among the George Floyd protesters filling the streets in cities across the U.S., but it will take a number of weeks to detect an uptick in cases, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr.Scott Gottliebsaid.

"It's still a little early to see the impact. You probably want to wait two weeks and a couple replication cycles, or maybe three replications cycles, before you see it," he said in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box." "It's a younger crowd, more likely to have asymptomatic illness, so if it starts chains of transmission it's going to take time for those chains to grow into the kinds of numbers where you could detect it."

The U.S. is already beginning to see an uptick since about Memorial Day weekend, when some states eased restrictions on businesses and outdoor areas like beaches. Some states still have an "expanding epidemic," Gottlieb said, adding that we'll have to wait and see what the impact of the protests will be.

"There will be cases coming out of it. There's no question about it," he said. "Whether or not we see an epidemic in these states, that's harder to tell."Will Feuer

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer and biotech company Illumina.

Gravediggers carry the coffin of Avelino Fernandes Filho, 74, during his funeral who passed away from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 18, 2020.

Ricardo Moraes | Reuters

6:56 a.m. ET Countries around the world that have eased restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus have begun to see upticks in infections, the World Health Organization said.

"On upticks, yes we have seen in countries around the world I'm not talking specifically about Europe when the lockdowns ease, when the social distancing measures ease, people sometimes interpret this as 'OK, it's over'," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told a U.N. briefing in Geneva, according to Reuters.

"It's not over,"she said, according to Reuters. She added that U.S. protesters should take precautions when gathering. "It's not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world."Will Feuer

Read CNBC's previous coronavirus live coverage here: Brazil's death toll surpasses Italy's, Lancet retracts hydroxychloroquine study

Go here to see the original:

Coronavirus: India's cases top those of Italy; Brazil's Bolsonaro threatens to pull out of WHO - CNBC

If youve been on social media at all over the last few months, youve probably seen posts or advertisements about coronavirus remedies or miracle cures.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Its important to know that nothing has been proven to prevent or cure COVID-19, says infectious disease specialist Kristin Englund, MD. That includes supplements and natural health products.

While some vitamins and supplements may make claims about supporting immune health, none have been shown to be effective in fighting COVID-19.

The best way to prevent infection is to keep your immune system healthy, maintain a safe distance from others, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.

If you do get sick, its important not to use supplements in place of getting proper medical care. And its best to consult with your doctor before starting any new supplement in general.

Heres what we do and dont know about supplements and coronavirus so far.

A: Zinc is a mineral thats important for immune health. Because of this, you often see it used in over-the-counter cold remedies. A number of clinical trials are now testing whether zinc combined with other supplements or drugs could prevent COVID-19 or help people get over it more quickly, but no study results have been published yet.

A: Vitamin D is thought to have protective effects on the immune system, but its not yet known whether it could help prevent or treat COVID-19. New research has noted higher rates of COVID-19 infection and death in areas where people have lower levels of vitamin D in their system. But those studies show an association not that low vitamin D makes someone more likely to get COVID-19. Research is ongoing.

A: Clinical trials are exploring whether vitamin C, in combination with other treatments, could help COVID-19 patients, but no studies have been completed yet.

A: Some people who have COVID-19 get digestive symptoms such as diarrhea. While probiotics may contribute to a healthy balance of gut bacteria, theres no evidence that they do anything for people with COVID-19.

A: Selenium is a mineral that occurs in soil, water and some foods. In China, researchers noted that the COVID-19 death rate was lower in regions where people have higher selenium intake and status. But this does not mean that selenium supplements will prevent or cure COVID-19.

A: Copper surfaces are known for their antiviral and antibacterial properties. One recent study found that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 only remains viable on copper surfaces for a max of four hours compared to two or three days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces. But theres no evidence suggesting that taking copper supplements will prevent or cure COVID-19.

A: Theres no research showing that using or consuming any natural or herbal products, including essential oils, eucalyptus oil or witch hazel, will prevent infection with the 2019 novel coronavirus.

See more here:

Supplements Won't Prevent or Treat COVID-19 Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Essentially, at our most current rate of 1.14, for every eight people with COVID-19, nine more people will get it.

ATLANTA With all of the emotions surrounding the ongoing protests its easy to forget were still in the middle of a pandemic. The impact of having so many people crowded together - is still unknown.

Athens Clarke County Commissioner Mariah Parker posted on Facebook that after the protests in Athens Sunday, she tested positive for COVID-19. She is asymptomatic, so its unclear when she contracted the virus. But theres at least one forecasting model that shows Georgia was already headed in the wrong direction days before the protests started.

The model was created in-part by the co-founder of Instagram, Kevin Systrom. It essentially shows how fast the virus is spreading in a community. The model is dynamic and constantly changing as new data is entered, but Georgias effective reproduction rate has hovered around 1.14 for several days, putting it near the top of the pack each day.

Lets be clear that transmission rate is really low, but its still big enough to keep this virus hanging around.

Essentially, at our most current rate of 1.14, for every eight people with COVID-19, nine more people will get it.

11Alive asked Dr. Richard Rothenberg, a Regents Professor at Georgia State Universitys School of Public Health, to look at the model and give his thoughts on whether the math and science behind it were valid.

It was developed for other epidemic diseases like SARS and MERS and Ebola, Rothenberg explained. He said the math behind the model has been around for about eight years, tweaked with each event.

In models in general you never want to take the exact number very seriously. You just want to look at the range and direction. Those are the things that are most important," he said.

We were in the green zone while we sheltered in place, but in the past two weeks, that changed.

Rothenberg said thats likely a product of not enough people wearing masks, washing their hands, or detecting the virus soon enough to avoid others.

He said he's curious to see how the data changes the closer we get to June 21, three weeks out from Memorial Day, the first mass gatherings in our state.

The period of two days before to two or three days after you get sick is a critical time for spread.So, the people who are important in protecting themselves are the ones that dont have it, said Rothenberg.

The chart below shows Georgia's 7-day moving average tracking new cases.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 49,847 positive COVID19 cases, 953 new cases from the total the day before. The number of new cases has remained fairly flat since the end of the shelter in place order. Overall, thats good news. Georgia hasnt seen a second surge.

But to reduce that threat in our community, we need to see that trend line consistently head down, like seen in Connecticut, where the current effective reproduction rate according to this model is .85. That means the virus is slowly dying out.

Continued here:

Georgia COVID-19 forecast model | Where the state stands - 11Alive.com WXIA