Category: Corona Virus

The World Health Organization (WHO) has played a controversial role in the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump has accused the organization of being too close to China and moved to withdraw the United States from it. At the same time, the WHO is helping coordinate the international rollout of potential vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

As the WHO holds its 73rd World Health Assembly remotely this year, due to the pandemic here is a look at how people in 14 advanced economies viewed the organizations initial COVID-19 response, based on surveys conducted in June through August by Pew Research Center.

This analysis focuses on how people in 14 advanced economies viewed the World Health Organizations response to the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year.

The analysis is based on nationally representative surveys of 14,276 adults conducted from June 10 to Aug. 3, 2020. (Its important to note that this was a time when the pandemic appeared to be receding across Europe and much of the U.S.) Surveys were conducted over the phone with adults in the U.S., Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

The study was conducted in countries where nationally representative telephone surveys are feasible. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, face-to-face interviewing is not currently possible in many parts of the world.

In most surveyed countries, majorities approved of the WHOs handling of the pandemic, though there were some notable exceptions. A median of 63% of adults across 14 nations said this summer that the WHO had done a good job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. In 12 of these countries, half or more thought the WHO had managed the pandemic well.

Japan and South Korea two early hotspots for the virus were notable outliers. Only about a fifth of South Koreans (19%) and a quarter of Japanese (24%) were convinced the WHO had dealt with the pandemic well. In May, South Korean President Moon Jae-In pushed for the organization to be tougher on member nations, particularly with regard to sharing data about the virus. And Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso has panned the organization for its close ties to China, a nation viewed negatively by nearly nine-in-ten Japanese.

People in most surveyed countries were more likely to approve of their own nations handling of the pandemic than the WHOs response. But that wasnt the case everywhere. In Sweden, Belgium, France and the U.S., similar shares said their country and the WHO had done a good job. Elsewhere, more said the WHO had handled the outbreak well than said the same of their own country. (The survey was conducted in summer, before a second surge in coronavirus cases began across Europe.) In the UK, fewer than half (46%) said their own country had done a good job dealing with the virus, but 64% said the same about the WHO. Similarly, in Spain, 54% said their country had dealt with the virus well, but two-thirds said the same of the WHO.

Americans have grown slightly more positive about the WHOs handling of the pandemic. Only 53% of Americans said this summer that the organization had handled the outbreak well, but that represented an increase since the spring, when only 46% said this.

Democrats and independents who lean Democratic were more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to assess the WHOs pandemic response positively. Seven-in-ten Democrats said the organization had done a good job dealing with the outbreak, compared with only 32% of Republicans. There was a similar partisan divide in the spring, but the share of Democrats who rated the WHOs response positively increased by 8 percentage points by summer (from 62% to 70%).

In all surveyed nations, those who have a favorable opinion of the United Nations were more likely to think the WHO which is part of the UN had done a good job dealing with the virus. In Australia, for example, 69% of adults with a favorable view of the UN saw the WHOs handling of the pandemic as effective, compared with only 26% of those with an unfavorable opinion of the UN.

In some countries, including the U.S., political ideology and support for political parties were also connected with views of the WHO. In half the countries surveyed, those on the left of the ideological spectrum were more likely than those on the right to think the WHO had handled the pandemic well.

Similarly, Europeans who support left-wing populist parties were more likely to think the WHO had done a good job managing the outbreak when compared with those who do not support these parties. Conversely, supporters of some right-wing populist parties were less likely than nonsupporters to think the organizations response to the coronavirus outbreak had been effective.

In most surveyed countries, women and younger adults were more likely to say the WHO had handled the virus well. The gender divide was largest in Italy, where two-thirds of women said this summer that the organization had been effective in dealing with the pandemic, compared with fewer than half of men (44%).

Similarly, in nine countries, adults ages 18 to 29 were more likely than those 50 and older to say the WHO had done a good job dealing with the outbreak. For example, in the U.S., 68% of younger adults said the WHOs response to the outbreak had been effective, compared with only 49% of older adults.

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology.

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How people in 14 countries viewed WHO response to COVID-19 by mid-2020 - Pew Research Center

Although hundreds of school districts have announced coronavirus cases and dozens of New Jersey schools have temporarily shut down since the start of the school year, state health officials said Thursday just 51 schools have had confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks.

The weekly statistics released on the states COVID-19 dashboard include 15 new outbreaks in ten counties. That brings the totals to 193 cases in 51 schools since schools began reopening in late August.

The 15 new outbreaks reported this week include schools in: Camden (3 new outbreaks); Burlington (2), Gloucester (2); Salem (2); Bergen (1); Hudson (1); Sussex (1); Warren (1); Monmouth (1) and Mercer (1) counties.

Why do New Jerseys school outbreak numbers seem so low when so many school have announced positive cases?

Its because the state narrowly defines school outbreaks as cases in which local health department contact tracers determined students, teachers or school staff most likely contracted the virus on school property or during school activities, state health officials said.

So, the outbreak numbers only reflect a fraction of the New Jersey schools that have had positive COVID-19 cases.

Students and teachers who caught the coronavirus off of school grounds from relatives or friends, at parties or at other outside activities are not counted in the outbreak totals. Schools that shut down due to multiple COVID-19 cases are also not included in the outbreak statistics unless the health investigation concluded people transmitted the virus while within the school.

For example, Essex County is listed as having zero school outbreaks since the start of the school year. However, multiple schools in the county, including in Montclair, West Orange and North Caldwell, are among those that have closed temporarily due to positive cases.

Those school closures were not counted as outbreaks because local health investigations were either inconclusive, not completed yet or determined students and teachers did not transmit the virus to each other at school.

Gov. Phil Murphy cited the relatively low number of outbreaks as one of the reasons why he does not currently plan to order all schools to switch to remote learning as the second wave of the virus hits New Jersey.

We are not closing our schools, Murphy said Thursday at his coronavirus press briefing in Trenton.

How many student and teachers in New Jersey tested positive for COVID-19 statewide?

New Jersey officials have not publicly tracked the total number of coronavirus cases reported at schools, but it is likely in the hundreds, maybe thousands.

There have been more than 300 New Jersey schools that have had at least one coronavirus case, according to a database compiled by the National Education Association. That data comes from teachers and others self-reporting announcements of cases at their schools.

How many New Jersey schools have closed due to coronavirus cases?

New Jersey officials have also not publicly tracked when districts close school buildings temporarily due to coronavirus cases.

Some schools close for a few days for cleaning. Others close for 14 days or more so students and teachers can quarantine at home while remote learning.

Dozens of districts have temporarily closed schools, according to lists compiled by NJ Advance Media since the start of the school year. In recent weeks, schools were temporarily closed in Westfield, Phillipsburg, Howell, Keyport, Woodbridge, Cherry Hill, Medford, Delran, Elmwood Park, Elizabeth and other districts.

Other districts have announced they are either switching to all-remote learning or continuing virtual learning until early next year due a rise in COVID-19 cases. The districts that will remain all-remote until at least January or February include Newark, Paterson, Bloomfield, Dover, Boonton and East Brunswick.

What are the names of the schools with confirmed outbreaks?

Citing the need to protect the privacy of teachers and students, the state has not released the names of the 51 schools that have had confirmed outbreaks.

What counties have had school outbreaks?

The 51 school outbreaks include:

Atlantic County: 1 school outbreak with 2 cases.

Bergen County: 6 school outbreaks with a total of 17 cases.

Burlington County: 4 school outbreaks with a total of 10 cases

Camden County: 9 school outbreaks with a total of 54 cases.

Cape May County: 3 school outbreaks with a total of 10 cases.

Cumberland County: 1 school outbreak with 3 cases.

Gloucester County: 4 school outbreaks with a total of 18 cases.

Hudson County: 2 school outbreak with 8 cases.

Hunterdon County: 1 school outbreak with 3 cases.

Mercer County: 1 school outbreak with 2 cases.

Middlesex County: 1 school outbreak with 3 cases.

Monmouth County: 1 school outbreak with 2 cases.

Ocean County: 4 school outbreaks with a total of 16 cases.

Passaic County: 1 school outbreak with 9 cases.

Salem County: 4 school outbreaks with a total of 18 cases.

Somerset County: 2 school outbreaks with a total of 4 cases.

Sussex County: 3 school outbreaks with a total of 7 cases.

Warren County: 3 school outbreaks with a total of 7 cases.

Have any counties had no school outbreaks?

Three counties have no confirmed school outbreaks Essex, Union and Morris counties.

Are state officials concerned about the school outbreaks?

Murphy has said several times that the state takes every COVID-19 case seriously, but he has not been alarmed by the number of school outbreaks. The numbers remains relatively low considering New Jersey has more than 3,000 public and private school buildings.

State officials attributed strict social distancing measures and mandatory mask requirements at schools with helping keep the outbreak numbers low.

These numbers are lower than any of use could have anticipated, Murphy said Thursday.

However, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said contact tracing is not exact. Its not always possible for people to trace exactly where they got the coronavirus and many people do not cooperate with contact tracers to complete an investigation, she said.

Why do some schools shut down when someone tests positive for COVID-19, while others dont?

New Jerseys guidelines leave the decision on whether to close a school up to local school and health officials.

Under the guidelines, schools should shut down for 14 days if there are two or more positive cases in separate classrooms with no clear indication of how the people contracted the virus.

If there is one case in a school, the building does not need to be shut down. But anyone who had close contact with the person who tested positive should stay home for 14 days.

However, many school districts go beyond the state guidelines and close a school building for cleaning for several days even if only one person has tested positive. Other districts have switched entire schools to remote learning for weeks even if their cases have all been in a single classroom.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.

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51 N.J. schools have had coronavirus outbreaks, state says. Heres why that number seems low. - NJ.com

WASHINGTON A new wave of people in Donald Trumps orbit including longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski and Republican lobbyist Jeff Miller have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending an election night party at the White House.

Its unclear if either of them contracted the virus at the White House.

Billionaire shipping magnates Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, who are among the presidents biggest donors, also tested positive for the virus, though its not clear whether they attended the party. Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Richard Walters, who wasnt present, tested positive on Thursday, according to a party official.

Lewandowski, who has been helping contest Joe Bidens election victory in Pennsylvania, tested positive on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the matter. It wasnt immediately clear when Miller was diagnosed.

Bloomberg News previously reported that a number of others who attended the Nov. 3 White House event including Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump campaign adviser David Bossie also contracted the virus.

About 200 people attended the party, mingling in close quarters largely without masks. But its not certain whether those who attended the party contracted the virus at the event.

Elizabeth Uihlein, the chief executive officer of shipping-supply company Uline Inc., announced her illness in a memo sent to her roughly 7,000 employees on Wednesday afternoon. Richard Uihlein is the companys chairman.

After all these long months, I thought wed never get it, she wrote. Well, Trump go(t) it If we had not been around people with COVID, we would not have been tested.

In a statement, Uline said the company doesnt disclose health information about specific employees, citing health privacy law.

Uline has instituted numerous changes to normal operating policies to respond to COVID-19 with health and safety in mind, the Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin-based company said. As we are made aware of positive cases among Uline personnel, we continue to promptly notify others who may be exposed to the virus, so the proper protocols can be quickly put into place.

The Uihleins, who are worth around $4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, are outspoken Republicans and have donated tens of millions of dollars to Trump and conservative causes in recent years.

Elizabeth Uihlein has been critical of government restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. In March, she sent an email to dozens of Illinois lawmakers saying that while you may think that government-enforced closing of events, schools help prevent the virus, it also contributes to unnecessary panic and fear in the American people.

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Trump supporters hit with new wave of coronavirus after attending election party - pressherald.com

Some at Roger Williams, however, were left angry and confused. A few faculty members in the marine sciences building were embittered by the event, which they said had disrupted classes, hampered productivity and eroded emotional well-being, according to an individual who worked in the building, who requested anonymity to avoid repercussions from the university. Others worried that faculty members and students would see the event as an excuse to forgo testing and gather in close quarters, the individual said.

Brian Williams, the universitys chief of staff, acknowledged that the events had seeded some tension. He could not provide further details, he said, because the university was still reviewing the matter.

Although labs that specialize in diagnostics have long had protocols in place to ward off such events, weve never had a situation where so many labs work on a pathogen amid a pandemic and so much asymptomatic testing, said Dr. Butler-Wu, the clinical microbiologist. As a result, there are few contingency plans in place to deal with such unusual testing errors.

One person at Roger Williams, who was among the 20 that tested positive, was initially told I would not be retested, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their status at the university. That decision was quickly reversed, and the person tested negative, ending a stressful emotional roller-coaster. But only a subset of the 20 people who tested positive were given the opportunity to take a second test with the state department of health, raising ethical concerns, the person said.

Events at Brown also caused consternation among the staff and the faculty, said Edward Hawrot, the universitys senior associate dean for the program in biology. A few people who tested positive and suspected that the cause was contamination were sort of pleading to be retested, and were able to do so, he said. But many institutions do not have the resources to test liberally, making it difficult to issue follow-up diagnostics.

Guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommend against retesting people within 90 days of a positive result. There are no explicit exceptions for potential contamination. Many individuals whose tests were likely contaminated, across several institutions, stopped getting tested for weeks or months because their positive results had been treated as legitimate, despite the possibility they were still vulnerable to the virus.

One faculty member at Roger Williams, who was among the 20 who tested positive in mid-October, was able to restart regular screening. But when he recently tested positive again, health officials told him he did not need to isolate, according to an email sent to several people in the building.

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These Researchers Tested Positive. But the Virus Wasnt the Cause. - The New York Times

Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. Sign up here.

The number of coronavirus patients in Texas hospitals has nearly doubled since October, and average infections are at their highest point in almost three months leaving health officials bracing for a potential crush of hospitalizations going into the holidays.

In El Paso, hospitals are so overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients that in early November the Department of Defense sent medical teams to help, and the county has summoned 10 mobile morgues to hold dead bodies. Local funeral homes are readying extra refrigerated storage space, as the number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the far West Texas city has shot up nearly tenfold since the start of September.

The new wave of infections stands in contrast to the summer surge, when Gov. Greg Abbott held regular press conferences about the virus and mandated that face coverings be worn, earning him the ire of the far-right. Now, state officials seem reluctant to crack down on the virus spread by further curtailing economic activity and are fighting the El Paso county judges attempt to impose a curfew and a stay-at-home order in the face of record-breaking cases.

Health experts say theyre up against a public yearning to return to regular life and tired of following precautions like social distancing and wearing a mask. Unlike the summer, when fear of the virus might have prompted people to heed health officials warnings, theres now a complacency to strictly following safety precautions, experts and officials say.

In July, everybody's wearing masks. It was 100%. If somebody wasn't wearing a mask, you could just feel the stares at them and you'd see people like picking up their shirts and covering their noses with it, said Galveston County health authority Dr. Philip Keiser in a late October interview. Now it's falling into categories: some wear masks, some pull them under their nose or chin and occasionally theres open defiance, he said.

The fatigue comes as hospitals in El Paso and parts of West Texas have filled with coronavirus patients, and as other regions have seen steady increases in infections that could presage their own wave of hospitalizations. Cases in Central Texas have hit their highest point since August, with more than half of them involving adults in their 20s and 30s and officials have said an increase will lead to needless hospitalizations and deaths.

Other parts of the state, from the border city of Laredo to Tarrant County, are also seeing an increase in cases.

In Galveston, Keiser said older age groups are becoming infected different from this summer, when cases there were largely driven by 20- and 30-something-year olds while older people were hospitalized.

Young people are also needing advanced medical care now, like an 8-year-old who ended up in the hospital and on oxygen, Keiser said.

People tend to think of this as a linear type event. And that's not the way it works. Cases start to increase exponentially, Keiser said, where it just sort of doubles and doubles and doubles.

Texas is closing in on 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, according to state data, and the pandemic has claimed more than 18,700 lives in the state. The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients statewide is a little more than half of what it was this summer, when hospitals along the U.S.-Mexico border were overwhelmed and officials pleaded for a pop up medical facility.

Abbott originally cited a metric called the positivity rate the portion of tests that come back positive to gauge the severity of the virus and the appropriate safety measures. The state since late-October has had a positivity rate greater than 10%, the threshold Abbott said was a warning flag back in May, though the metric was temporarily unreliable because of problems with the underlying data.

More recently, Abbott has used the hospitalization rate to identify parts of the state where the virus is spreading or where medical resources could be becoming scarce. Areas where more than 15% of hospitalized patients consistently have COVID-19 must shut down bars and limit patrons in restaurants, under Abbotts order.

The Lubbock and El Paso regions have hospitalization rates respectively near 22% and 40%.

In El Paso, the University Medical Center has hit a record number of coronavirus patients in the hospital, with more than 220 on Nov. 2 a tremendous upswing from a little over a month before, when there were 30, said spokesperson Ryan Mielke. Multiple floors have been converted to house coronavirus patients, and they have leased space from a childrens hospital to treat adults who are not infected with COVID-19. Emergency medical tents have sprouted up in the hospitals parking lot, and the state has sent medical staff to open a temporary hospital in the El Paso Convention Center normally home to events like Comic-Con.

Physicians there have said they think they will see continued growth in the number of patients based on the infection rate, Mielke said.

We had a surge plan that was actually drafted last spring, so we anticipated these days However, we did not expect these numbers until later this season, Mielke said. Were expecting this to be a very long winter, especially with a possible convergence with the flu.

This situation is similar at Covenant Medical Center in Lubbock, where Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Schroeder said they are on an upward trajectory with no evidence so far of peaking. The number of patients with COVID-19 has climbed in recent weeks, prompting the hospital to dedicate more and more floors to treating people with the virus.

Some 40% of patients in the hospital had the coronavirus as of Nov. 5, compared to an average 20% in the surrounding region. Hours from another metropolitan hub, Lubbock is often a medical destination for those needing advanced or specialized care and Covenant one of two hospital systems there frequently accepts patients from small rural hospitals as far away as New Mexico and Kansas.

The hospital has at times been too full to accept transfer patients, and as soon as space opens up, they get more requests for other patients to come, Schroeder said.

The state has sent medical staff to augment strained or short-handed facilities in Lubbock and nearby Amarillo, where the situation in the hospital is similar.

Dr. Sheryl Williams, a hospitalist at BSA Health System in Amarillo, said they have far more patients than they had during an initial wave and that the demographic of those sickened has changed.

In March, there were cases among people who had traveled internationally or to domestic hot spots. Then there was a spike in infections tied to meatpacking plants. Now, its community spread, Williams said.

Were seeing mom and dad and two kids come into the [emergency department] saying I think we all have it, she said.

They have expanded the space they use to treat coronavirus patients from a section of one intensive care unit, to the entire unit and part of others, and are doubling up on COVID-19 patients in some rooms.

We are just hoping we dont have to expand any further, Williams said.

Emergency room physician Dr. Robert Hancock said when he worked at a Texoma-area hospital in late-October the entire emergency department was full with patients waiting for an intensive care unit bed to open up. The facility was almost out of ventilators and starting to turn to reserves.

Its starting to get like that everywhere now, said Hancock, who practices in Dallas-Fort Worth, Oklahoma and Amarillo, and is president of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians.

Its bad, I think were all in agreement at this point. We all were kind of taken by surprise with the outbreak in the summer but this was the one we were all worried about, he said. And were seeing that progression that many of us were afraid of.

Elsewhere, last responders funeral directors who get the dead to a final resting place are seeing an increase or are girding for more deaths. In Houston, some were warned last month that infections could spread from West Texas to the metro area and that they should begin preparing for a possible uptick in fatalities.

Funeral homes across West Texas and in eastern New Mexico saw a marked increase in virus deaths to the point that about half are coronavirus-related now, said Bill Vallie, the regional manager of 17 funeral homes there. A dozen employees have become infected outside work, temporarily closing two locations because the staff were quarantining.

It's like when the storms in the Gulf you don't know if it's going to come toward Galveston or if it's going to go up toward Louisiana, said Greg Compeon, chair of the Texas Funeral Service Commission. Though the volume of deaths is not yet close to the wave of fatalities this summer, he said, the Houston area is seeing an increase and funeral services are being slowed down because loved ones are quarantining or sick, he said.

We're all kind of holding our breath as to see what happens, he said.

Disclosure: Texas College of Emergency Physicians has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Texas hospitals and funeral homes brace for new wave of coronavirus cases - The Texas Tribune

Coronavirus infections have shot up in Marin County over the last four days, prompting the county to recommend that local restaurants cut back immediately on indoor service.

Dr. Matt Willis, the countys public health officer, said there has been an average of 20 new cases per day in Marin during the last four days. From Oct. 15 through Nov. 4, the average was about nine. Infections are also rising across the state as well as nationally and internationally.

Marin County currently allows restaurants to provide indoor dining at 50% of capacity.

Im recommending for this coming week to reduce voluntarily from 50% to 25%, Willis said Tuesday. If the case counts continue to increase, that will shift from a voluntary to a mandatory shift to 25% starting next Tuesday.

Marins coronavirus numbers place it in tier 3 of the states system for determining the degree to which businesses and schools are allowed to reopen. In tier 3 counties, the state allows restaurants to provide indoor service at 50% of capacity, but local public health officers may set more restrictive regulations if they deem it necessary.

If Marins coronavirus numbers worsen, the county could be moved back into tier 2 within two weeks, where it would be required to remain for at least three weeks. Tier 2 counties are limited to 25% of indoor capacity.

Im trying to get in front of that, Willis said.

A reclassification to tier 1, which would take several weeks, could result in the state prohibiting restaurants from providing any indoor service.

The last thing the business community wants is to go backwards, and we support all that we need to do to keep us safely in the orange tier, said Joanne Webster, CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.

However, Webster added, it is my understanding that most of the new positive cases are coming from social gatherings, especially around the holidays and traveling. I am not convinced that rolling back restaurant capacity will be impactful enough to make a difference.

Willis said the recent spike in cases has occurred among White residents in Marin. He said it is the first time since the pandemic arrived in Marin in the spring that the number of cases among White residents has exceeded cases among Latinos.

Willis said these new infections are attributable to more people gathering indoors and greater mobility allowed within the county due to Marins graduation from tier 2 to tier 3 several weeks ago.

Willis said that people dining together is particularly problematic because they gather indoors, dont wear masks while theyre eating and often spend a prolonged period of time together.

Willis said food service workers are among those workers with the highest infection rates. He noted that super-spreader events have been linked to restaurant dining.

Willis also warned about the risks of traveling outside Marin in areas where infection rates are higher. He recommended that people who travel outside the county self-quarantine for 14 days when they return.

Willis said he is seeking state funding for a second mobile coronavirus testing team. He said if state funding isnt secured, the county might need to look for local funding.

Willis said the news that Pfizer may have developed a vaccine that could be 90% effective in preventing coronavirus infection is heartening. However, he expects such a vaccine would not be available to the general population in Marin until March.

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Marin coronavirus spike tied to indoor gatherings - Marin Independent Journal

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) As coronavirus cases rise, so does a moral and economic dilemma.

Call it COVID Honesty.

When do you reveal the circumstances that you know might result in quarantine.

Many employers now require the answering of an entry permission form before an employee comes to work.

Zach Bombatch is a board member of the Southwestern Pa. Human Resources Organization and a labor law attorney. He says employers depend on employees being honest, so they can decide if they should be allowed in the workplace.

With respect to symptoms or exposure I think a lot of employers are looking to their employees to let them know, and let the employer, make that decision, he said. Theres no what we call bright-line test meaning a definitive yes or no when an employee should tell the employer about symptoms or exposures.

If you are not honest do you risk your job?

Well theres certainly that risk I mean that there would be representation that the employer is relying upon and employers rightfully expect honesty and as much disclosure as possible, he explained. I dont think that anyone would necessarily get fired automatically for that but it really would not be a good scenario for anyone involved.

As for compensation if you are told to stay home. Bombatch says, So we saw that come out earlier this year from Congress called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. And thats a fact specific question about whether or not an employee who is requested or required to quarantine to stay home receives paid leave if they receive some sort of partial paid leave or whether or not they receive leaves at all.

Which is an important point to consider if you are planning to go out of state for the holidays.

Bombatch says, Theres certainly a potential that they will be required to quarantine. And then well have to get into that next level of determining whether or not that quarantine results in a paid or unpaid leave. He suggest you have a conversation with your employer in advance about where you are going and what will be expected when you return.

The bottom line he says avoid surprises with your employer.

Beyond traveling out of state when does your situation at home require you to fess up at work?

WATCH: Cold vs. COVID, Knowing The Symptoms

Dr. Jennifer Preiss at Allegheny Health Network says you first need to understand the real symptoms of COVID-19.

We worry about fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, she explained. There are some GI-associated symptoms that are more problematic in older populations. The first couple of symptoms I mentioned are more consistent with the flu. So I think discerning between influenza, the normal seasonal flu, and covid is going to be the hardest thing that were going to have to be dealing with.

Dr. Preiss says safety should be the priority.

I believe that if you have a fever, cough, and muscle aches, you need to be very upfront and very candid with yourself, your doctor to people that you live with the people that you have contact with every day. You probably need to go ahead and quarantine until youve had a COVID test, and that COVID test is negative.

That does not mean to overreact if your child develops the sniffles.

Runny nose, even a stuffy nose, and a tiny bit of cough is not something that Im going to be alarmed about, said Dr. Preiss.

Dr. Preiss understands some people might be hesitant to be forthright out of concern they will be told to stay home.

I understand that everyone needs to work everyone needs to support themselves and their family, but I think as a society, and what is ethically correct, she said. And what is going to ultimately help us combat this pandemic is being respectful for the people that are surrounding you.

There is help as close as your phone if you have doubts about whether to report your situation to your employer.

You can call your own doctor or the PA COVID Hotline at 1-877-PA-Health.

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COVID Honesty: Knowing The Symptoms Of Coronavirus And When To Report Them - CBS Pittsburgh

CHICAGO The hardest months yet of the coronavirus outbreak are ahead for Chicago and the rest of Illinois, officials warned Tuesday.

Coronavirus hospitalizations are surging and deaths rapidly rising, and officials said theyre worried about how much worse things could get this winter. With hospital beds quickly filling up, new cases surging and health care staff in demand and spread thin nationally, the state is locked in a struggle with this virus as winter approaches, Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday.

We all want this to be over, but we need to gird ourselves for winter because [the pandemic is] not over yet, Gov. JB Pritzker said during a Tuesday coronavirus briefing. Neither has winter come, nor is the pandemic over. We have potentially months of the fight ahead of us.

Illinois has already had more than 10,200 deaths, and thousands more are expected to die this winter.

Chicagos top health official, Dr. Allison Arwady, said shes most worried about November, December and January.

Across Illinois, the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus is already almost back at the peak the state experienced in the spring. As of Monday night, 4,742 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Illinois. Deaths are quickly rising, too, with dozens dying per day.

That paints a grim picture for the winter, when the COVID-19 surge is expected to worsen even further and when hospitals already tend to be busier dealing with other illnesses and emergencies, officials said.

The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus has already surpassed the spring peaks seen in regions 1-7 of the state. In regions 8-10, which cover the suburbs around Chicago, hospitalizations are also quickly rising.

Hospitalizations in Chicago are only at about half of what they were during the spring peak but they are growing rapidly.

Chicagos hospitals have about three times the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized, in the ICU and using ventilators as they did at the start of October, said Arwady, the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Its possible Chicago will soon hit and surpass its spring peak for people hospitalized with COVID-19, Arwady said.

With the numbers increasing the way they are, were really concerned, Arwady said.

Chicagos uptick in hospitalizations comes as the city has seen an enormous surge in new cases of COVID-19 and in its positivity rate. New cases in the city are up 400 percent since the start of October, and Chicagos positivity rate hit 13 percent Tuesday; it was at 5 percent in early October.

More cases means more people hospitalized and, eventually, more people dying from coronavirus, officials have said. Deaths are already on the rise in Chicago, with dozens dying every week.

The surge also means more health care workers and hospital beds will be required in the months ahead and thats easier said than done.

In the spring, when it looked like hospitals in Chicago and the suburbs could be overcome by the first coronavirus surge, officials built up hospital capacity and stockpiled equipment like ventilators. McCormick Place was turned into a field hospital, though it was barely used.

That kind of capacity could be built up again in Chicago, and the citys hospitals now have lots of ventilators, Arwady said.

But with the entire United States facing a COVID-19 surge and doctors and nurses unable to come to Illinois from other states, it will be much harder to get enough health care workers to care for all the people who will become sick, Arwady said.

When this whole country is breaking records for COVID, which is what is happening every single day, Im less concerned about ventilators , Arwady said. Im concerned but not as concerned about beds.

But Im very concerned about staffing. There is less room for error here in terms of not taking this seriously.

Pritzker expressed a similar concern, pointing out theres no extra staff available for Illinois if every state is demanding extra workers.

There is hope for a vaccine in the months ahead but its still not expected to be widely distributed until later in 2021, long after this winter.

We are starting to see real increases in the really serious outcomes, Arwady said. And I think people are also excited to be hearing good news about vaccine. But vaccine is not November. Vaccine is not December. Vaccine is not January in terms of any significant amount of vaccine available.

And November, December and January are what Im the most worried about here in Chicago.

To slow the viruss spread and prevent hospitals from being overrun, people need to wear masks, social distance, cancel all non-essential travel, stop gathering and wash their hands, officials have said.

Pritzker said hes spoken with health care administrators from across the state and heard their concerns about how quickly hospital beds are filling up.

We must not let them become overrun, Pritzker said. They have a message for everyone listening: They implore you to make sure everyone wears a mask and stops gathering with a large number of people in your homes. They need your help.

Block Club Chicagos coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

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Potentially Deadly Winter Looms As Hospitals Face Being Overwhelmed By Coronavirus, Officials Warn - Block Club Chicago

The CDC previously encouraged mask wearing to help prevent people from spreading COVID-19 to others. USA TODAY

U.S. coronavirus hospitalizations surpassed60,000 for the first time Tuesday, continuing a steady rise that has seen hospitalizations more than double in less than two months, the COVID Tracking Project reported Wednesday.

The number of Americans hospitalized due to COVID-19 has risen almost 50% in the last two weeks.

Almost 62,000 Americans were hospitalized due the COVID-19 on Tuesday. Theprevious record for hospitalizations was 59,780 on April 12, after which the number began a gradual decline that reached 28,608 on Sept. 20. Since then, however, the number has been rising steadily.

"Hospitals are facing severe constraints in the weeks ahead," said North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, whose state is among the hardest hit. "We need everyone to help slow the spread."

Today's latest updates:

Today's numbers:The U.S. has reported more than 10.25million cases and more than 239,600deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: more than 51.4millioncases and 1.27million deaths.

Mapping coronavirus:Track the U.S. outbreak in your state.

What we're reading:The leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionlost his way during COVID-19. Now his agency must rebuild its credibility.

This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe toThe Daily Briefing newsletter.

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A fourth college football gamescheduled for Saturday involving Southeastern Conference schools waspostponed Wednesday due to COVID-19 concerns. The University of Georgia will not play at the University of Missouri, the conference announced. It was not immediately clear if the game would be played at a later date.

Earlier this week, Auburn at Mississippi State, Alabama at LSU and Texas A&M at Tennessee were all forced to reschedule. At least two other Saturday games involving schools from other conferences Memphis at Navy and Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State also have been postponed. Overall, more than 50 games have been canceled thus far this season.

The nations second-most populous state is the first to surpass 1 million coronavirus cases, according to data fromJohns Hopkins University. The state has now reported 1.01 million coronavirus cases and 19,337 deaths.

There were 6,170 people hospitalized Tuesday with the coronavirus and 94 new deaths were reported that day, according to the stateDepartment of State Health Services.

Texas has about 28 million people, 10 million less than California, which will soon surpass 1 million infections as well.The true number of infections for all states islikely much higher because many infected don't feel sick and have not been tested.

"Swift distribution of vaccines and medical treatments will begin to heal those suffering from COVID-19, slow the spread of the virus, and aid in reducing hospitalizations of Texans," said Gov. Gregg Abbott said in a statement.

Peter Giannikopoulos, one of the suitors vying forTayshia Adams's attentions on the current season of"The Bachelorette,"says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and then suffered minor injuries in a car accident uponhearing the news.

The real estate adviserfrom Everett, Massachusetts, wasone of four suitors whoentered the Palm Springs "Bachelorette" bubble on this week's episode.

Giannikopoulos, 32, wrote in anInstagrampostTuesday that he had begun a two-week quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus Monday. Filming for the series wrapped in September.

"The past 24 hours have truly been some of the hardest in my life. Yesterday I tested positive for Covid,"he wrote alongside a shirtless selfie photo taken from his bed. "Although my symptoms are evident, I am going to fight this and win."

Bryan Alexander

President-elect Joe Biden's transition teamwebsiteoutlines a plan to "implement mask mandates nationwide by working with governors and mayors and by asking the American people to do what they do best: step up in a time of crisis."The website says Biden will call for Americans to wear a mask when they are around people outside their household,forgovernors to make that mandatory in their state and for local authorities to also make it mandatory "to buttress their state orders."On the campaign trail, Bidensaid he couldn't issue a national mandate.

"A national mandate is not possible because public health powers belong to the states, not the federal government," said Lawrence Gostin, director of Georgetown Universitys O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. "The federal government couldnt implement its own mask mandates, nor could it force the states to do it."

Grace Hauck

Researchers analyzing coronavirus data from 92 of the nations 135 Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers found the case rate was on average more than 13 times the rate of the U.S. population and more than double the rate in prisons,according to the report published in JAMA Open Network.

Lack of data transparency, minimal testing and anecdotal reports of inconsistent compliance with health guidelines suggest ICE case numberscould be much higher, experts say.

Unless were wanting to give people who are detained by ICE death sentences ...we should absolutely be doing everything we can to protect them, said Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Not providing means to stop the spread in those locations is a national travesty. Its a stain on our country."

Adrianna Rodriguez

Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. USA TODAY

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance adding to the face masks: They not only protect others, but they protected the wearer, too.

"Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread" of the virus, the CDC says. "Individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use."

The CDC had previously encouraged mask use as a way to help prevent infected people from spreading the coronavirus to others.

The World Health Organization has agreed to allow an independent panel to review its management of the pandemic response. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency welcomed any effort to improve its productivity for the sake of the people we serve.

As COVID-19 spread, WHO often shied away from calling out countries, as big donors such as Japan, France and Britain made repeated mistakes, according to dozens of leaked recordings of internal WHO meetings and documents from January to April obtained by The Associated Press.

One of the central dilemmas facing the WHO is that it has no enforcement powers or authority to independently investigate within countries. Instead, the health agency relies on behind-the-scenes talks and the cooperation of member states.

Maryland Gov. Harry Logan reimposed restrictions to combat a "public health catastrophe"due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.StaringWednesday evening, indoor dining at restaurants and bars mustreturn to 50% capacity. State health officials are "strongly advising against" indoor gatherings of more than 25 people and nonessential travel to states with a positivity rate above 10%. Those who leave the state must get tested and self-quarantine.

More people are getting infected with the virus, more people are being hospitalized, more people are going into intensive care, and more Marylanders are dying," Hogan said. "The actions we are taking today are absolutely necessary to help us withstand this surge, to save lives."

Maryland has a total of 156,709 confirmed cases and 4,084 deaths, according to the state's COVID-19 data dashboard.

Disneyland is reportedly furloughing more workers as its closure enters its ninth month. On Monday evening, the Orange County RegisterandVarietyboth published excerpts of a staff memo from Disneyland President Ken Potrock announcing more temporary job cuts.

Since Disneyland resort closed its gates in March, nothing has been more important than fully reopening and getting our cast members back to work, Potrock wrote. Thats why it is with heavy hearts we find ourselves in the untenable situation of having to institute additional furloughs for our executive, salaried and hourly cast.

While Potrock's memo did not appear to specify an exact number, the Register and the Long Beach Press-Telegramboth put the estimate at around10,000 jobs. In an email to USA TODAY, Disney declined toprovide an estimate of how many workers will be impacted.

Jayme Deerwester

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesdayissued an executive order urging,but not requiring, limits on public interaction on a day of record infections anddeaths and ashospitals arerunning out of intensive care beds.

It's the first time the governor has used a primetime platform to ask the public to begin to take the pandemic seriously, nine months into the outbreak.

"Wisconsin, this is serious. This crisis is urgent," Evers said in a speech from the Wisconsin State Capitol. "It's not safe to go out, its not safe to have others over it's just not safe. And it might not be safe for a while yet."

Evers' advisory comes as Wisconsin hit new records: 7,073 new cases of COVID-19, 66 new deathsand 2,070 people in hospitals sick with the virus. As of Tuesday, there are just 128 intensive care beds available in the state a supply that could disappear within seven days if current trends continue.

Molly Beck and Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gov. Steve Sisolak has issued Nevadans a clear ultimatum: Shape up in two weeks, or expect steps toward another shutdown meant to halt a recent surge in coronavirus cases.

Sisolak, speaking during a Tuesday press conference at the state Capitol, told reporters the state must see a significant reversal of the current trends in order to keep the states economy up and running. He also asked local governments to step up enforcement of the states existing COVID-containment measures and urged employers to allow telework whenever possible all in order to mimic much stricter shelter-in-place orders issued at the start of the pandemic.

The first-term Democrat has practically begged residents to follow Nevadas mask-wearing and social distancing orders during recent virus-related press events. Now, he says hes longer asking.

Nevadans need to change behaviors immediately," the governor said. "Again, if we dont make progress over the next 14 days, I will be forced to take stronger action.

James DeHaven and Anjeanette Damon, Reno Gazette Journal

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Coronavirus updates: Hospitalizations reach all-time high; Texas first to reach 1 million infections; WHO facing independent review - USA TODAY

"Secretary Carson has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery," Baker said in a statement.

An aide added that Carson, 69, tested positive Monday morning at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after experiencing symptoms. He is no longer at the hospital.

Carson's chief of staff Andrew Hughes disclosed the secretary's positive diagnosis in an all-staff letter, writing: "He is resting at his house and is already beginning to feel better."

Hughes also said staff would be notified if they'd been in contact with Carson and that "all precautions are being taken."

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, was spotted maskless at several Trump campaign events in the lead up to Election Day, including a Trump campaign rally in Waterford Township, Michigan, on October 30.

Social media posts by Carson and Trump supporters indicate that the Housing secretary was traveling to campaign for the President in the southeast before Election Day.

The new set of positive coronavirus diagnoses within the President's orbit comes a month after Trump's own bout with the disease.

Men are also more likely than women to suffer severe illness or die from coronavirus, according to the CDC.

This story has been updated with additional reporting on Carson's diagnosis.

CNN's Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.

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Ben Carson is the latest Trump official to test positive for coronavirus - CNN