Category: Corona Virus

Another 53 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Maine, health officials said Thursday.

Thursdays report brings the cumulative total of coronavirus cases across the state to 4,617. Of those, 4,145 have been confirmed positive, while 472 were classified as probable cases, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency revised Wednesdays cumulative total to 4,564, down from 4,567, meaning there was an increase of 50 over the previous days report, state data show. As the Maine CDC continues to investigate previously reported cases, some are determined to have not been the coronavirus, or coronavirus cases not involving Mainers. Those are removed from the states cumulative total.

It was the second-highest daily increase in cases over the past 30 days. On Aug. 29, 55 new cases were reported. Over the past seven days, there has been an average of 30 new cases a day.

New cases were reported in Androscoggin (4), Cumberland (10), Hancock (3), Kennebec (2), Knox (1), Oxford (3), Penobscot (7), Somerset (4), Waldo (1) and York (16) counties, state data show. Information about where additional cases were reported wasnt immediately available.

No new deaths were reported Thursday, leaving the statewide death toll at 133. Nearly all deaths have been in Mainers over age 60.

A University of Maine System spokesperson said Thursday that known infections across the states public universities now number 14. That includes three new cases at the University of Maine in Orono, where nine students are infected. Three are isolating on campus while the others are in isolation off campus, spokesperson Dan Demeritt said. Four previously infected students have been released from isolation.

The other positive cases include an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maine at Farmington and four students at the University of Southern Maine in Portland three isolating on-campus and one isolating off-campus Demeritt said.

One individual at Husson University has tested positive for the virus, according to college president Robert A. Clark on Wednesday. The employee is currently isolating at home. Seventy-three out of 634 staff members have been tested, while 196 out of 2,618 students have completed testing. No students have tested positive as of Thursday.

So far, 424 Mainers have been hospitalized at some point with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Of those, nine people are currently hospitalized, with four in critical care and one on a ventilator.

Meanwhile, 10 more people have recovered from the coronavirus, bringing total recoveries to 3,988. That means there are 496 active confirmed and probable cases in the state, which is up from 456 on Wednesday.

A majority of the cases 2,640 have been in Mainers under age 50, while more cases have been reported in women than men, according to the Maine CDC.

As of Thursday, there have been 283,769 negative test results out of 290,281 overall. Just under 2 percent of all tests have come back positive, the most recent available Maine CDC data show.

The coronavirus has hit hardest in Cumberland County, where 2,206 cases have been reported and where the bulk of virus deaths 70 have been concentrated. It is one of four counties the others are Androscoggin, Penobscot and York, with 620, 241 and 867 cases, respectively where community transmission has been confirmed, according to the Maine CDC.

There are two criteria for establishing community transmission: at least 10 confirmed cases and that at least 25 percent of those are not connected to either known cases or travel. That second condition has not yet been satisfied in other counties.

Other cases have been reported in Aroostook (38), Franklin (53), Hancock (50), Kennebec (193), Knox (31), Lincoln (36), Oxford (70), Piscataquis (8), Sagadahoc (61), Somerset (58), Waldo (70) and Washington (15) counties.

As of Thursday morning, the coronavirus had sickened 6,115,638 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as caused 185,756 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

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53 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Maine - Bangor Daily News

Dwayne Johnson, the actor and former wrestler known as the Rock, announced on Instagram on Wednesday that he and his family had recently tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mr. Johnson, 48, said they had become infected around two and a half weeks ago, from very close family friends. He called it one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family, but added that he and his family were now on the other end of it and were healthy and no longer contagious.

While the symptoms were mild for his youngest daughters, Jasmine and Tiana, Mr. Johnson said he and his wife had a rough go with the virus.

Mr. Johnson also urged people to wear masks.

It baffles me that some people out there including some politicians will take this idea of wearing masks and make it part of a political agenda, he said.

It has nothing to do with politics, he said. Wear your mask.

Mr. Johnson added that his mother, who had part of her lungs removed before recovering from lung cancer, still wears a mask every day.

His announcement comes as coronavirus cases increase around the world, with over 26 million people infected and at least 862,000 dead from the virus, according to a New York Times database.

In the United States, at least 1,074 deaths and over 40,000 new cases were reported on Wednesday, when Mr. Johnson posted to Instagram about his experience with Covid-19.

While Mr. Johnson said he and his family still trust the friends from whom they contracted the coronavirus, he advised people to take all precautions before seeing others. Think twice about who you have over to your house, he said.

Mr. Johnson joins a long list of celebrities, athletes and public figures who have contracted the virus and called on the public to treat it seriously by wearing masks, social distancing and taking other precautions. The list includes Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and his wife, the actress Rita Wilson; athletes like the basketball players Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert; and world leaders such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain.

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Dwayne Johnson, the Rock, Tests Positive for the Coronavirus - The New York Times

The Oregon Health Authority reported 274 new confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases and three deaths Thursday, raising the states total to 27,336 cases and 470 deaths. The daily case count is the highest since last Friday.

The new cases come a day after state officials reported the lowest case count since June for the second time this week. Officials say that daily infections have been slowly and steadily declining since the end of July.

Meanwhile, the number of deaths has continued to rise. This is partly because someone may have the disease for weeks before its fatal.

With 126 deaths, August was the deadliest month in Oregon since the pandemic began, according to data from the state health authority. The total is expected to grow as delayed reports of deaths continue to be announced in the coming days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (2), Clackamas (24), Columbia (2), Coos (4), Deschutes (4), Douglas (1), Jackson (18), Jefferson (6), Josephine (1), Lane (13), Lincoln (1), Linn (2), Malheur (23), Marion (36), Morrow (7), Multnomah (65), Umatilla (15), Wasco (4), Washington (40), and Yamhill (6).

New Fatalities: State officials reported the following deaths Thursday:

A 79-year-old man in Malheur County is Oregons 468th COVID-19 death. He tested positive July 14 and died at Vibra Hospital of Boise, Idaho, Aug. 23. He had unspecified underlying health conditions.

A 56-year-old man in Washington County is Oregons 469th COVID-19 death. He tested positive Aug. 1 and died at Providence St. Vincent Aug. 22. He had unspecified underlying health conditions.

A 96-year-old woman in Marion County is Oregons 470th COVID-19 death. She tested positive July 8 and died in her home Aug. 21. She had unspecified underlying health conditions.

Prevalence of infection: Since Wednesday, state officials reported that 4,732 Oregonians had been tested, with 250 tests coming back positive, amounting to a positivity rate of 5.3%.

Who got infected: Since Wednesday, state officials reported 261 new cases among the following age ranges: 0-9 (12); 10-19 (25); 20-29 (55); 30-39 (53); 40-49 (46); 50-59 (25); 60-69 (17); 70-79 (12); 80 and older (16).

Whos in the hospital: State officials Thursday reported that 87 Oregonians are currently hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, one less than yesterday. Hundreds of hospital beds and ventilators remain available.

Since it began: State officials have reported 27,336 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. In all, 569,804 Oregonians have been tested.

-- Bryce Dole; bdole@oregonian; 541-660-9844; @DoleBryce

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Coronavirus in Oregon: 274 new cases and three deaths reported Thursday - OregonLive

After tens of thousands of unmasked protesters turned out to rally against virus restrictions in the German capital over the weekend, the city instituted a rule that requires masks for demonstrations with more than 100 participants.

Dilek Kalayci, the city senator for public health, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the rules would go into effect immediately. She noted that in certain cases, like when demonstrators are singing or chanting, masks could become mandatory even for smaller protests.

Last week, the city tried to ban the scheduled protests because the authorities worried that infection rules would be flaunted, but the decision was overturned in a court. Soon after a march numbering 18,000 began on Saturday morning, the police chief ordered the protesters to wear masks. When many refused, the police shut down the protest, although it let another, bigger gathering in the afternoon go forward.

Updated September 1, 2020

Though Germany has been lauded for its coronavirus response and low death rate, a vocal minority has taken to the streets to protest measures to contain the spread. On Monday, the country registered 1,218 new virus cases, according to the federal agency keeping track.

Other rules set by Berlin on Tuesday regulated family gatherings and large crowds.

The new laws will be tested quickly: On Tuesday afternoon, another demonstration against virus rules is expected in Tiergarten, the large central park in Berlin. If all 500 registered protesters show up, masks will no longer be optional.

The coronavirus situation at the South Central Correctional Facility in Clifton, Tenn., did not look like a crisis a week ago. The prison had reported fewer than 100 cases since the pandemic began. And according to Amanda Gilchrist, a spokeswoman for CoreCivic, the private company that runs South Central, only 10 of the prisons roughly 1,500 inmates were showing Covid-19 symptoms.

But state officials ordered mass testing at the prison last week, and the results are eye-popping: As of Tuesday morning, 965 inmates of 1,410 tested about two-thirds of the total population were positive, and another 168 test results were still pending, the state said.

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C.D.C. Halts Evictions, Citing Covid-19 Risks - The New York Times

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the 26th straight day that New York State's COVID-19 infection rate has remained below 1 percent. Yesterday, 0.80 percent of tests reported to the state were positive. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

"Defeating COVID-19 requires a shared commitment among all New Yorkers to wear masks, socially distance and wash hands, and I thank them for listening to state guidance and taking social action to get us to this point today. 26 straight days with an infection rate below 1 percent is no mean feat," Governor Cuomo said. "However, high case levels throughout the country are storm clouds on the horizon, and we have to stay vigilant in partnership with the enforcement of local governments. We're all in this together, and we'll get through it togetherstay tough, New York."

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,144 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 3 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

Of the 88,447 test results reported to New York State yesterday, 708, or 0.80 percent, were positive. Each region's percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows:

REGION

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Capital Region

0.6%

1.3%

0.5%

CentralNew York

1.3%

0.9%

0.7%

Finger Lakes

0.4%

0.4%

0.2%

Long Island

1.2%

1.0%

0.8%

Mid-Hudson

1.3%

0.8%

0.9%

Mohawk Valley

0.3%

1.9%

0.9%

New York City

0.9%

0.9%

0.7%

North Country

0.2%

0.3%

0.6%

Southern Tier

0.7%

0.7%

0.6%

WesternNew York

2.0%

1.6%

1.7%

The Governor also confirmed 708 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 436,218 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 436,218 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

County

Total Positive

New Positive

Albany

2,791

5

Allegany

89

0

Broome

1,315

4

Cattaraugus

216

10

Cayuga

180

0

Chautauqua

428

23

Chemung

205

0

Chenango

229

0

Clinton

151

0

Columbia

570

1

Cortland

102

1

Delaware

120

5

Dutchess

4,878

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Governor Cuomo Announces 26th Straight Day with COVID-19 Infection Rate Below 1 Percent - ny.gov

TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., on September 3, 2020, there have been 444,902 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 10,845 total cases and 237 deaths.

DHHRhas confirmed the deaths of a 64-year old female fromKanawha County, an 86-year old male from Kanawha County, a 95-year old femalefrom Mercer County, a 60-year old female from Kanawha County, a 92-year oldfemale from Kanawha County, a 95-year old male from Randolph County, and a 71-yearold female from Lincoln County. "We grieve, together with their families, the tragic loss of theseWest Virginians, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (34), Berkeley (812), Boone(145), Braxton (9), Brooke (97), Cabell (560), Calhoun (12), Clay (27),Doddridge (7), Fayette (369), Gilmer (20), Grant (142), Greenbrier (106),Hampshire (92), Hancock (123), Hardy (75), Harrison (280), Jackson (205),Jefferson (373), Kanawha (1,553), Lewis (34), Lincoln (122), Logan (503),Marion (221), Marshall (133), Mason (120), McDowell (73), Mercer (323), Mineral(144), Mingo (262), Monongalia (1,259), Monroe (127), Morgan (38), Nicholas(53), Ohio (291), Pendleton (45), Pleasants (15), Pocahontas (43), Preston(140), Putnam (307), Raleigh (377), Randolph (227), Ritchie (6), Roane (33),Summers (19), Taylor (108), Tucker (11), Tyler (15), Upshur (45), Wayne (269),Webster (7), Wetzel (45), Wirt (8), Wood (313), Wyoming (68).

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the localhealth department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain countymay not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual inquestion may have crossed the state border to be tested.Such is the case of Lincolnand Wetzel counties in this report.

Pleasevisit the dashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 9-3-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

JERUSALEM With the coronavirus spreading fast through the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed Monday night to cool its latest round of hostilities with Israel in exchange for a cash infusion from Qatar and for Israels agreement to let fuel flow back to Gazas power station, officials said.

For several weeks, Gaza, ruled by Hamas, has launched hundreds of balloons laden with incendiary devices and explosives and more than a few rockets into southern Israel, torching large tracts of farmland and keeping thousands of Israeli civilians on edge. Israel has responded with frequent airstrikes and tank fire on what it said was Hamas military infrastructure in Gaza.

Far from resolving anything, though, Mondays agreement which effectively bought the promise of a months calm was just another familiar step in the miserable minuet that has entangled Israel and Hamas for years.

Hamas again promised that it was to get long-sought progress on major economic projects; it did not detail them, but as of last week it was demanding an extended power line and a new industrial zone that could alleviate Gazas appallingly high unemployment rate.

By contrast, Israel announced that it was merely allowing routine cargo activity at the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza and permitting Gazas fishermen to resume plying the Mediterranean waters up to 15 nautical miles off its shores.

Once again, it was understood by each side that the failure to live up to its promises could bring about another round of escalation.

This decision will be tested on the ground, the Israeli military agency responsible for Gaza, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, said in a statement. If Hamas, which is accountable for all actions that are taken in the Gaza Strip, fails to stand by its obligations, Israel will act accordingly.

For his part, Yehya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, announced that the agreement would contain the escalation and halt the Zionist aggression on our people.

Talal Okal, a Gaza-based political analyst, said the understanding had little hope of leading to a long-term cease-fire.

Were in the middle of a vicious cycle, he said. It seems that the situation hasnt changed significantly and that the tensions can come back in the snap of a finger. He said the success of Mondays agreement would depend on Israels willingness to implement it something he accused the country of evading in past deals with Hamas.

The agreement was trumpeted by Mohammed al-Emadi, a Qatari ambassador who heads that nations Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza and has been shuttling back and forth between Israel and Gaza for days. But while he alluded to projects that Hamas has agitated for, he said that the calming of tensions was paving the way for their implementation, suggesting that work was not about to begin imminently.

None of the parties publicly disclosed the amount of Qatars cash infusion. A person familiar with the agreement, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss it, put the payment at $27 million.

It was not immediately clear what Hamas would use the money for. Officials say that previous payments from Qatar have been used in Gaza, which is in dire economic condition, to buy fuel, pay civil servants salaries and provide relief to impoverished families.

Politics has loomed over the heated-up Gaza-Israel border in multiple ways, analysts said particularly with an election coming up to decide the leadership of Hamas. Khaled Meshal, a former Hamas leader now in exile in Qatar, is believed to be vying to topple Ismail Haniya, the Gaza-based Hamas political director.

Mr. Haniya and Mr. Sinwar have sought to show that they are capable of compelling Israel to make meaningful improvements to conditions in Gaza, whether in easing its blockade or in advancing big projects.

But the political situation in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been in a kind of permanent campaign mode, repeatedly dangling the prospect of taking the country to another election, has made it difficult to imagine Israel doing much to benefit Hamas in the near future.

Updated September 1, 2020

For Qatar, meanwhile, restoring calm can enhance its stature in the region, said Celine Touboul, a Gaza expert and co-director of the Economic Cooperation Foundation, an Israeli think tank. Simply put, they want to be a player, she said. And to be a player for them is to demonstrate that they can contribute to shift the situation and calm it.

Hamas noted in announcing Mondays understanding that it would help provide a measure of relief to Gaza in light of its battle with the coronavirus. But the most crucial missing element in that fight was electricity, as Israel had halted shipments of fuel into Gaza in retribution for the flaming balloons and rockets.

That standoff became dire last Monday, when Hamas officials reported the first cases of community transmission. And the spread of the virus in Gaza appears to have accelerated: As of Monday morning, there were 243 active cases of local spread and 37 among returning travelers held at quarantine facilities, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Officials have reported three virus-related deaths in the past week.

Virus testing kits are in short supply in Gaza, the ministry said, and it is testing at a slow pace. As of Monday morning, it had conducted just 670 tests in the preceding 24 hours.

Nickolay E. Mladenov, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, wrote on Twitter that he welcomed Mondays agreement: Ending the launching of incendiary devices and projectiles, restoring electricity will allow #UN to focus on dealing with the #COVID19 crisis. All parties should return to the calm understandings.

Mr. Mladenov and Ambassador Emadi, among other officials, were expected to meet on Tuesday at the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza.

Earlier on Monday, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Jamie McGoldrick, called upon Hamas to stop the rockets and balloons and Israel to restore electricity, which was down to just four hours a day, in line with its obligations as an occupying power.

The situation is hindering the provision of services in the quarantine facilities and the capacity of the health system to cope with the increased demands, such as the ability to detect new COVID-19 cases, Mr. McGoldrick said. Power outages in hospitals are having serious repercussions, with patients in intensive care, chronic and emergency cases particularly vulnerable.

David M. Halbfinger reported from Jerusalem and Adam Rasgon from Tel Aviv. Iyad Abuheweila contributed reporting from Gaza City.

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Hamas and Israel Agree to Ease Hostilities Amid Coronavirus - The New York Times

CHICAGO People are spreading misinformation online that downplays the deadliness of coronavirus.

Over the weekend, people on social media widely shared incorrect posts that falsely claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was saying just 6-7 percent of people reported as dying from COVID-19 had actually died from the virus. Thats inaccurate, Chicagos top doctor said Tuesday.

According to the CDCs own website, COVID-19 was the only cause of death mentioned for 6 percent of people reported to have died from the virus but all that means is 94 percent of other people who died from coronavirus also had a comorbidity, like lung disease.

Officials have long warned comorbidities like heart disease and diabetes put people at a higher risk for severe symptoms or even death from COVID-19.

Coronavirus can exacerbate or even cause medical issues, like lung and heart failure, that play a role in a persons death, Dr. Allison Arwady said at a Tuesday press conference. COVID-19 has also caused severe kidney problems in some patients.

All of this is because theyve gotten COVID-19, Arwady said. If, unfortunately, this person dies while theyre in the hospital, the doctor has to fill out the death certificate and you list the things that this person had as well as what is the ultimate cause of death.

Those people are dying from coronavirus, Arwady said, but a death certificate will include the other conditions they had and developed. The determination of what killed the person is made by a doctor or medical examiner.

In cases where coronavirus didnt cause someones death, its not listed as the cause of death. Arwadys example: If a person who had COVID-19 was shot to death, their cause of death will be listed as the shooting, even though they had coronavirus.

The reports of people who died of COVID-19 are people who died because of being infected with COVID, Arwady said.

If anything, Chicago has likely undercounted the number of people who have died from coronavirus, Arwady said, though she thinks most people who have died from the virus have been counted.

Throughout the United States, its estimated thousands of people have died from coronavirus without being counted, which means the countrys death toll should be higher than reported.

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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Fact Check: 94% Of Coronavirus Victims Had Other Illnesses But The Virus Was What Killed Them, Top Doc Says - Block Club Chicago

Some of the nation's leading public health experts say that the most commonly used type of coronavirus test in America could be generating positive results for large numbers of people who are carrying low levels of the virus and therefore may not be contagious, Apoorva Mandavilli reports for the New York Times.

The 3 biggest questions about Covid-19 testing, answered

However, according to Mandavilli, those experts also say that doesn't necessarily mean the country should be testing less.

The most commonly used coronavirus tests in America are polymerase chain reaction tests, or PCR tests. According to Mandavilli, PCR tests provide a yes or no answer to whether a patient is infected with the novel coronavirus.

"We've been using one type of data for everything, and that is just plus or minusthat's all," Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explained. "We're using that for clinical diagnostics, for public health, for policy decision-making."

But other types of tests can also provide information on how much of the virus a person is carrying, Mandavilli reports. According to Mandavilli, PCR tests look for genetic matter from the new coronavirus using amplification cycles. The fewer cycles needed to detect genetic matter from the virus, the higher a patient's viral load and the more likely that person is contagious, Mandavilli reports.

However, the number of amplification cycles that was needed to detect genetic matter from the virus, which is referred to as the cycle threshold, typically isn't included in test results sent to doctors and patients, Mandavilli reports.

Mina said that information is more telling, as it indicates a patient's viral load, and patients carrying minuscule amounts of the virus may not be contagious. Therefore, information on a patient's viral load should be used to determine the patient's next steps, Mina said.

"It's really irresponsible, I think, to forgo the recognition that this is a quantitative issue," he added.

But further complicating the matter, according to some experts, is that many commonly used tests for the novel coronavirus are too sensitive, so they generate positive results when patients are carrying low loads of the virus, Mandavilli reports.

According to Mandavilli, many coronavirus tests have fairly high cycle thresholds, with most set at 40 and some set at 37. That means a number of patients who aren't carrying much of the new coronavirus are still testing positive, even though they may not be contagious, Mandavilli reports.

Mina explained that tests with high cycle thresholds could be detecting genetic fragments of the virus, or pieces of the virus that are leftover from a previous infection that don't pose any current transmission risk.

Juliet Morrison, a virologist at the University of California-Riverside, said she believes any test with a cycle threshold over 35 is too sensitive. "I'm shocked that people would think that 40 could represent a positive," she said.

And according to Mandavilli, a review conducted by the New York Times of three sets of coronavirus testing data from Massachusetts, Nevada, and New York found that up to 90% of patients in those data sets who tested positive for the coronavirus had very low viral loads.

Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said of the Times review's results, "I'm really shocked that it could be that highthe proportion of people with high [cycle threshold] value results." He added, "Boy, does it really change the way we need to be thinking about testing."

Morrison said a better threshold would be 30 to 35, while Mina said he'd recommend setting the threshold to 30 or less.

According to Mandavilli, CDC data shows that it's very difficult to detect significant loads of live coronavirus within a patient sample that tests positive at a cycle threshold above 33, meaning patients who test positive at a cycle threshold of 33 or higher likely are not carrying enough of a viral load to transmit the virus to others. Mandavilli reports that CDC has said it's looking into using cycle threshold measures "for policy decisions," and it will work with FDA and device manufacturers to make sure the measures "can be used properly and with assurance that we know what they mean."

Mina said there's a simple solution for weeding out which patients are and aren't contagious: "Test them again, six hours later or 15 hours later or whatever."

Mina explained that using a rapid coronavirus test, which can be less accurate than PCR tests but provide quicker results, could be useful for this type of re-testing. Those tests may be less sensitive, but they'd catch patients whose viral loads are rising quickly, indicating they've recently been infected with the novel coronavirus and are not just carrying leftover fragments of the pathogen, he said.

Sensitive PCR tests made sense at the start of America's coronavirus epidemic, but with outbreaks persisting throughout the United States, tests that are faster, lower cost, and more abundant are what's now needed to get the epidemic under control, Mina said.

"It might not catch every last one of the transmitting people, but it sure will catch the most transmissible people, including the superspreaders," he said. "That alone would drive epidemics practically to zero" (Mandavilli, New York Times, 8/29).

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Coronavirus tests are extremely sensitive. (That could be a problem, experts say.) - The Daily Briefing

CHICAGO Illinois reported 1,668 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past day and seven more deaths.

Four of the deaths happened in Cook County: a man and a woman in their 70s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s.

There have now been 2,868 COVID-19-related deaths in Chicago and 8,026 in the state.

The states overall positivity rate remained at 4.1 percent on Monday. Thats the rolling, seven-day average of tests administered that yield positive cases.

As of Sunday night, 1,492 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 347 patients were in the ICU and 157 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. Last Thursday by comparison, 1,546 people were hospitalized, including 352 people in the ICU and 132 people on ventilators.

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1668 More Coronavirus Cases Reported In The Past Day In Illinois - Block Club Chicago