Category: Covid-19

The Barron County Health Department is urging residents to stop unnecessary travel and avoid all gatherings following a dramatic surge of new cases of COVID-19. More than 150 new cases have been reported since mid-July, nearly half of which occurred at a food processing plant.

In the past two weeks, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has increased by more than 162 percent according to data from the Barron County Department of Health and Human Services. A press release issued by the department Wednesday reported 150 new cases across the county includinga cluster at a processing facility in the city of Cumberland owned by Seneca Foods, though it did not specify how many employees had gotten sick. DHS data for Barron County showed79 total positives on July 16. On Thursday, the agency reported 207 cases in the county.

Matt Henschler, Seneca Foods senior vice president of technical services, was quoted in the county announcement as saying the company is taking a "united approach"in identifying people who have tested positive or are symptomatic.

"Individuals are being isolated and monitored until cleared to resume activity,"said Henschler. "CDC guidelines regarding the preparation and management for COVID-19 are being followed."

Henschler did not respond to an interview request for this story.

Laura Sauve, thecounty health officer, also noted in the press release that the cases at the Seneca food processing facility "is not the only cause for the increase in cases."She also said the company did a good job of following CDC recommendations in hopes of preventing cases.

"This situation shows just how quickly the virus can spread,"said Sauve.

In an interview with WPR, Barron County Public Health specialist Sarah Turner said preliminary numbers show that just less than half of the 150 new county COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks could be traced to Seneca Foods. She said the health department did not know if masks had been required at the plant prior to the outbreak. Much of the other new cases in Barron County were reported in the city of Rice Lake, she said.

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"A lot of the cases outside of the outbreak (at the Cumberland facility) can be traced back to travel gatherings, crowded spaces, things like that,"Turner said.

During a Wednesday discussion with the Milwaukee Press Club, Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin touted a bill she co-introduced that would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency standard establishing a legal obligation for all workplaces to implement control plans to limit worker exposure to COVID-19.

"We're in the end of July," Baldwin said. "And we don't have a federal agency who's issued standards. All we have is voluntary guidelines. Sothat to me is an essential piece of it."

As of Wednesday, there had been three deaths in Barron County. Data from the DHS shows two of those deaths happened within the last week. Barron County Health's Turner said six people were hospitalized as of Thursday afternoon, with "several of them"in the intensive care unit.

Another press release from the county health department issued Wednesday urged residents to practice steps recommended in the now defunct "Safer-at-Home"executive order issued by Gov. Tony Evers and DHS Secretary Andrea Palm in March. Those include avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people indoors, stopping all unnecessary travel, not eating in restaurants or going to bars and frequent hand washing.

Turner said the county is encouraging everyone in the community to "please stay home"and isolate if they show flu-like symptoms.

"You know, one thing in our area of the world in the Midwest we have an awesome work ethic, which is a great thing,"said Turner. "But unfortunately, in times of COVID-19, it can also be not such a great thing because, you know, even outside of this Seneca outbreak, we've seen people who have gone to work symptomatic because we always go to work."

The statewide stay-at-home order was struck down by the state Supreme Court May 13. That day there were a total of 10,902 positive cases of COVID-19 reported by DHS. That number has swelled to 51,409 as of Wednesday.

On Thursday, Evers announced a statewide mask mandate aimed at slowing the spread of the disease. The order goes into effect Aug.1 and is set to expire Sept. 28 and requires individuals5 years and older to wear masks in indoor or "enclosed public places"when non-family members are present. Indoor public places, under the order, include indoor and outdoor bars, restaurants, stores, outdoor park structures and public transit. Those who don't follow the mandate could be fined up to $200.

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Barron County Sees 162-Percent Increase In Positive Cases Of COVID-19 In 2 Weeks - Wisconsin Public Radio News

Governor has said jurisdictions can decide for themselves

| Published: 2020-07-31 08:23

Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles pictured at a press conference on March 12. During a media briefing on Thursday, he said the county is looking at possibly reinstating some restrictions.

File photo

COVID-19 cases have been increasing across the state while Montgomery Countys have plateaued to about 70 to 80 new cases a day. But now officials are considering whether to reinstate some restrictions to try to decrease the viruss spread and reduce cases.

As the increase of COVID-19 cases has accelerated in recent weeks, county officials have suggested that the state slow down, or even reverse, some of its reopening.

At a media briefing Thursday, Dr. Travis Gayles, Montgomery Countys health officer, said hes concerned about the increase of coronavirus cases in Maryland and surrounding regions, including the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas.

The state has seen an increase in numbers thats it, he said. Theres no sugarcoating it, wordsmithing it or twisting it around. We are at a point the governor talked about it yesterday, being at a fork in the road. Some of us would argue that weve actually already gone down a path that is moving towards seeing increased numbers.

More jurisdictions are beginning to pull back on provisions and put more restrictions in place, he said.

We actually are reviewing our internal policies to see if theres anything we need to tweak or further adjust in terms of rolling back provisions to keep our residents safe, Gayles said. We will continue to monitor those as we move through those. We will announce those accordingly to the public.

Gayles and health officers in Marylands other major jurisdictions wrote last week to Fran Phillips, the states deputy health secretary, urging a possible statewide rollback of loosened restrictions if the situation worsens.

Asked during a press conference on Wednesday about the possibility of re-imposing restrictions, Gov. Larry Hogan said the state is holding steady at phase 2 of its reopening. But local jurisdictions, including Montgomery County, may impose tighter restrictions if theyd like.

Montgomery County has been harder hit than most counties and has taken longer to go through stages of reopening. It moved to phase 1 on June 1, then phase 2 where it remains on June 19. Officials have not seen enough improvement since then to progress to phase 3.

County Executive Marc Elrich said during Thursdays briefing that the county would be staying in its second phase of reopening, like the state is, and wont be moving to a third phase yet.

When numbers come down, then well talk about progress, he said. But obviously, no one feels comfortable going forward right now.

He noted that the state is requiring face coverings to be worn inside and outside, unless people are in a swimming pool or are six feet apart outdoors. That matches what already was in place in Montgomery County.

Gatherings in the county are capped at 50 people, with everyone required to wear face coverings and maintain physical distance at those events, he said.

The governor made note of some of the results theyre getting from contact tracing which shows that family gatherings and other social gatherings have been a significant source of transmission, he said. This is not something totally new, not something that we didnt expect to find, but now youre getting data from the contact tracing that confirms that.

Three weeks ago, the question was when the county would be moving into phase 3, Gayles said.Our realities have changed and I know a lot of people continue to write in requesting that other things be added and additional provisions be made, he said.

In order to move forward to phase 3 of reopening, Gayles said, the county would need to see its daily case numbers continue to drop. The county is not in a bubble and could be affected by other close jurisdictions, he said.

Rather than a constant decline in additional cases, the county is seeing what Gayles described as an extended plateau staying about the same. The county has found it difficult to drive numbers down further.

I would say right now, where we are, is a point where we have to look at saying, do we need to tighten things up? he said.

Certain activities that have been tied to cases in contact tracing, such as gatherings, restaurants and bars, could have stricter provisions, he said.

Gayles said the pandemic and health principles have become political.

There are certain [principles] that should never be political and we should follow them by looking at facts, data and evidence, he said. And health is one of those.

There may be decisions we make that you may not be happy with or may impact you in a way thats not beneficial, but we make these decisions based on the full constellation of data and evidence that we have available. We have to make decisions for all of the residents of the county, not one particular group, not one particular ZIP code, or one particular part of society.

Dr. Earl Stoddard, executive director of the countys Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said the county is continuing to distribute masks and personal protective equipment, or PPE, to nursing homes, nonprofits and other facilities. However, he urged those entities to seek to build up their own stockpiles in case of another surge of cases.

Emergency management staff members have started working with the countys Board of Elections to plan for the 2020 general election in November.

Our Board of Elections is concerned that were going to have as few as a third of the election judges that we would normally have, given the number of people who have said theyre, either for health concerns or other concerns, not willing to be election judges this year, Stoddard said. Thats a huge challenge for us, as is things like plexiglass and other accommodations to make it safer.

Hogan has called for precincts to be open on Election Day for in-person voting and for an application for a mail-in ballot to be sent to every voter in the state.

Gayles said the county is open to providing guidance on how individuals or organizations can safely host events, but the gathering limit is strict.

Were not trying to be the boogeyman that comes in and shuts things down, he said. But there are practices that we have to adhere to.

Stoddard said individuals and organizations must show how they intend to make events safe and within the countys guidelines.

Just because an event is outside or another jurisdiction is allowed to do it, he said, does not make it safe.Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@bethesdamagazine.com.

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County evaluating whether to reinstate some COVID-19 restrictions - BethesdaMagazine.com

Case characteristics, resource use, and outcomes of 10 021 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 920 German hospitals: an observational study  The Lancet

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Case characteristics, resource use, and outcomes of 10 021 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 920 German hospitals: an observational study - The...

Good morning. Donald Trumps serious new approach to the pandemic lasted all of one week. Speaking at his daily White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, the president described as very impressive a doctor who claims face masks do not combat the spread of Covid-19 and says DNA from aliens is being used in medical treatments.

Trump had shared an online video featuring the doctor and other supposed experts recommending the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, and contradicting official government guidelines on the disease. The clip, which was also touted as a must-watch by the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr, has since been removed by Facebook and YouTube for containing false public health information.

Meanwhile, US officials say Russian intelligence services are using English-language websites to spread disinformation to Americans about the pandemic, as part of an ongoing effort to sow confusion before the presidential election in November.

The US attorney general clashed with Democrats on the House judiciary committee on Tuesday, as he denied the interventions of federal agents in Portland and in Washington DCs Lafayette Square were motivated by Trumps re-election efforts. The president wants footage for his campaign ads, and you appear to be serving it up to him as ordered, the committee chairman, Jerry Nadler, told Bill Barr, who insisted the federal forces cracking down on protests in Portland were not out looking for trouble.

Meanwhile in New York, there was outcry after police apparently bundled a protester into an unmarked minivan, in an arrest described by the American Civil Liberties Union as dangerous, abusive, and indefensible.

Trump is damaging Americas reputation abroad not only with his own antics, but also through those of his ambassadors, according to a report by Senate Democrats, entitled Diplomacy in Crisis. A record number of the presidents ambassadorial appointments have been political, and many such senior diplomats had no qualifications besides being big-money Republican donors, writes Julian Borger.

Woody Johnson, the billionaire Trump backer who became the US ambassador to London, has been accused of making sexist and racist remarks (which he has denied). Jeffrey Ross Gunter, the US ambassador to Iceland and a dermatologist by trade reportedly became so paranoid about security that he asked to carry a gun and to travel in an armoured car, despite the absence of security concerns in Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance could expand by adding Japan to its existing membership: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Some British Conservative lawmakers say widening the longstanding alliance would pool key strategic resources and help to lessen the wests dependency on China.

As the Guardian continues its climate countdown in the run-up to the presidential election and to Trumps threatened withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate agreement Emily Holden examines the environmental plans of the presumptive Democratic nominee. Joe Biden has pledged to link the climate fight to jobs, by spending $2tn on clean energy as quickly as possible within four years, and transitioning the US entirely to clean electricity by 2035.

The US needs collective action and systemic change to fight the climate battle, argues Prof Michael Mann and the simplest way to start that systemic change is by voting:

Your vote will reverberate for years, as the efforts that have grown in the dark shade of the Trump administration are poised to bloom with a President Joe Biden, a climate-friendly Congress and state and local politicians who favour climate action.

The Esselen tribe of northern California has regained part of its ancestral land after 250 years, buying a 1,200-acre ranch near Big Sur, which tribal leaders say will be used for education and cultural purposes, and to conserve local flora and fauna.

Mark Zuckerberg will tell Congress companies arent bad just because they are big, when he appears with other top tech CEOs at a hearing on Wednesday, part of a major antitrust investigation into the power and size of the big tech firms.

Abortion could be decriminalised in Mexico as the result of a potentially historic supreme court ruling on Wednesday, which is hotly anticipated by activists on both sides of the countrys abortion debate.

Americans have been warned not to plant seeds from packets reportedly sent to residents in several US states from China. The seeds are thought likely to be part of a brushing scam, whereby people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.

The photographer snapping New Yorkers private thoughts

Photographer Jeff Mermelstein has spent most of his career emulating the classic, 35mm sidewalk reportage of Diane Arbus or Joel Meyerowitz. But for the past three years he has been pursuing a new project: capturing New Yorkers private messages as they compose them on their phones, as he explains to Alex Rayner.

The white women defecting from Trump

Trump won in 2016 with help from a crucial and somewhat unlikely demographic: white women with college degrees. Four years later, finds Adam Gabbatt, some of them bitterly regret their decision and are trying to make amends in 2020.

In a new interview, Ed Sheeran admits he used to binge-eat and vomit at the height of his fame. The revelation is a reminder that its not just women who can have a tortuous relationship with food, writes Arwa Mahdawi.

The late Steve Jobs is another example of how we mythologise rather than pathologize unhealthy eating in important men. According to his official biography, Jobs would sometimes live on only apples and carrots for weeks and would fast for days on end in an attempt to induce euphoria. That is something I did when I was 15 and it was quite rightly labelled anorexia.

Virgin Galactic has unveiled images from the interior of the VSS Unity, the craft in which the commercial space firm plans to take paying tourists to the edge of Earths atmosphere. For most of us, the photographs are the closest well get to a suborbital flight on Sir Richard Bransons passion project: tickets cost $250,000 each.

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First Thing: Trump's 'serious' approach to Covid-19 lasted a week - The Guardian

Face masks are a simple way to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus through talking, coughing or sneezing, scientists and public-health specialists say. But they need to be worn properly.

While some types of masks are more effective than others, public-health officials say any face coveringeven a bandannais better than nothing.

Heres how different types of masks stack up, and how they are meant to be used.

Common masks fall into three categories: cloth masks or coverings like gaiters, intended to prevent an infected person from spreading the virus by catching large droplets; surgical masks, with a more sophisticated design also meant to prevent the wearer from spreading diseases; and N95 masks, which protect the wearer as well, and fit tightly to the face.

Cloth

- Typically homemade

- Style and materials vary widely

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Work in herd-immunity: the more wear masks,

the more effective they are

- Wash after use

Surgical

- Loose fit

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Dispose after use

- Made from a material called polypropylene

N95

- Tight fit, must be fit tested

- Protects wearer if fitted properly

- Limited quantity

Cloth

- Typically homemade

- Style and materials vary widely

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Work in herd-immunity: the more wear masks, the more effective they are

- Wash after use

Surgical

- Loose fit

- Prevents wearer from spreading disease

- Dispose after use

- Made from a material called polypropylene

N95

- Tight fit, must be fit tested

- Protects wearer if fitted properly

- Limited quantity

A good cloth mask filters well and is comfortable to breathe through.

A cloth mask should consist of three layers: an inner layer near the mouth that can get moist, a middle filtration layer and an outer layer exposed to the outside environment. Here are the materials for homemade masks that do this best, according to the World Health Organization, using a scale that combines filter quality and breathability. A higher rating is better.

How a mask fits is as important as what it is made of.

1. Check for defects in the face mask, such as tears or

broken loops

2. Place one loop over each ear. Mask will contour to face,

but not as tightly as an N95.

3. Mask should sit on bridge of nose

1. Straps rest at the back of your head. An N95 will contour

tightly to face.

2. Mold metal strip to the shape of your nose

3. Re-adjust straps or nosepiece until a

proper seal is achieved

4. Place both hands over the respirator and breathe.

If theres leakage, there is not a proper seal.

5. If you cant get a proper seal, try a different N95 size

or model.

Surgical Mask

1. Check for defects in the face mask, such as tears

or broken loops

2. Place one loop over each ear. Mask will contour

to face, but not as tightly as an N95.

3. Mask should sit on bridge of nose

N95

1. Straps rest at the back of your head. An N95

will contour tightly to face.

2. Mold metal strip to the shape of your nose

3. Re-adjust straps or nosepiece until a

proper seal is achieved

4. Place both hands over the respirator and breathe.

If theres leakage, there is not a proper seal.

5. If you cant get a proper seal, try a different

N95 size or model.

Removing a mask properly is also important to prevent the spread of the virus.

Do not touch the front of the N95 to remove your mask. This can cause contamination.

Pull the straps from the back of your head. Discard while making sure to avoid touching the respirator.

If you need to re-use an N95 mask, store it in a paper bag for five days. Then you can re-use it.

N95 masks filter out at least 95% of very small particles when worn properly, including droplets carrying viruses. Versions with a plastic valve at the center, which makes the mask easier to exhale through, are intended for industrial workers and offer protection only to the wearer.

True N95s arent easy to wear properly. They must have a tight seal to the face to ensure that all air goes through the filter instead of around the edges. But they offer the best protection against the coronavirus, which is why the WHO recommends these masks be reserved for health-care workers.

A manufacturer business name

or logo should be printed on

the mask

NIOSHname

should appear on

an official N95 respirator

N95 respirators manufactured

after September 2008, must

have a TC-Approval number

The LOT number is an identification

number that may also include the

date the mask was made. Its

recommended, but not required.

1. NIOSHname should appear on an official N95

respirator

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How Face Masks Work and Which Types Offer the Best Covid-19 Protection - The Wall Street Journal

Facebook has prided itself on thorough moderation and removal of COVID-19 misinformation posted to its social network since March, but the company is now under fire for having failed to take action for several hours against a fast-moving viral Breitbart News video promoting dangerous coronavirus conspiracy theories and treatments over the weekend.

The company now says removal of the video took longer than expected, in a statement given to The Verge, and the company is going to investigate why. Before Facebook took action, the video featuring non-experts refusing to wear masks while touting unverified virus cures had been widely shared tens of millions of times, including by President Donald Trump and his son on Twitter. After it began gaining traction, Facebook and other social networks, including Twitter and YouTube, removed it and began trying to contain its spread through reposts.

Weve removed this video for making false claims about cures and prevention mentions for COVID-19. People who reacted to, commented on, or shared this video, will see messages directing them to authoritative information about the virus, a spokesperson says. It took us several hours to enforce against the video and were doing a review to understand why this took longer than it should have. The company says its removed more than 7 million pieces of misleading or false content related to the coronavirus between April and June.

New York Times journalist Kevin Roose, one of the first reporters to raise the alarm about the videos alarming virality, theorized that the video remained up for so long because it had been posted by Breitbart News, an organization Facebook treats as equitable to mainstream media so as to appease conservatives who often complain about social media bias. Facebook communications employee Andy Stone said that was not true, writing in a reply, This had nothing to do with newsworthiness and is not how our newsworthiness policy works.

Originally posted here:

Facebook says removing viral COVID-19 misinformation video took longer than it should have - The Verge

The Covid-19 pandemic is currently unfolding in one big wave with no evidence that it follows seasonal variations common to influenza and other coronaviruses, such as the common cold, the World Health Organization has warned.

Amid continued debates over what constitutes a second wave, a resurgence or seasonal return of the disease, Margaret Harris, a WHO spokesperson, insisted that these discussions are not a helpful way to understand the spread of the disease.

People are still thinking about seasons. What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus and this one is behaving differently, Harris told a virtual briefing in Geneva, urging vigilance in applying measures to slow transmission that appears to be accelerated by mass gatherings.

She also warned against thinking in terms of virus waves, saying: Its going to be one big wave. Its going to go up and down a bit. The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet.

The reality is that the issue of second waves has been a contentious one, much talked about by politicians including Boris Johnson and the media, but often very ill-defined.

With no agreed-upon scientific definition, the term second wave has been used to mean anything from localised spikes in infection to full-blown national crises, leading some experts to avoid it.

Second wave isnt a term that we would use [in epidemiology] at the current time, as the virus hasnt gone away, its in our population, it has spread to 188 countries so far, and what we are seeing now is essentially localised spikes or a localised return of a large number of cases, said Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh.

Tom Frieden, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control, is among those arguing that the concept is unhelpful for implying that Covid-19 will act as the flu acts.

Complicating the issue is perspective. Seen from a global viewpoint such as that of the WHO the pandemic appears as a single, large and still-accelerating outbreak, with worldwide numbers doubling in the past six weeks.

In terms of regional spread and even within individual countries, from a ground-level view, it becomes more complicated.

What can appear like a second wave is sometimes different areas of the same country simply being out of phase with each other in experiencing the epidemic, as in the US where a strong but uneven first wave moved initially in fits and starts and then more quickly.

Keith Neal, emeritus professor in the epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham, said that it has become a media term, as well as a scientific one.

What we are seeing are spikes in many countries, and in Leicester [in the UK] and other places. Some people might call these waves but if they do we are looking at dozens of waves.

Even in Australia [in Victoria] there is clearly an upturn but the disease was only at low levels to start with, so its down to a vague terminology.

As Melissa Hawkins, a professor of health at American University, wrote in the Conversation, looking at the US situation, talking about second waves in countries where the disease has simply progressed unevenly is inappropriate.

The US as a whole is not in a second wave because the first wave never really stopped. The virus is simply spreading into new populations or resurging in places that let down their guard too soon, she wrote, a comment applicable to other countries that have seen resurgences.

As the University of Oxfords Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, which examined 10 epidemics of respiratory disease from 1889, points out: Most of our thinking on second-wave theory arises from the 1918-20 Spanish flu that infected 500 million people worldwide and reportedly killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million.

Waves imply a lack of viral circulation which is probably an illusion, wrote Tom Jefferson and Carl Heneghan early in the outbreak in the UK.

Waves are also visible and mostly rhythmical. There does not appear to be any pattern or rhythm to the epidemics summarised in the table and their comings and going are only visible because of the effects on the human body and their impact on society.

The disease has little respect for land borders, even when authorities have tried to seal them; perhaps the only country that appears to have entirely stamped out the disease is New Zealand, an island nation that has curtailed almost all inbound travel.

More important than the description of any rise in cases is public health management of the increase, Neal added, and he cautioned that identifying a true second wave may need the perspective of time.

It is defining when we have [a second wave] that is the issue. In the Spanish flu it was quite apparent. But only after the event.

The WHO is looking at world figures and these are still increasing so as a pandemic we are in the first wave.

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'One big wave' why the Covid-19 second wave may not exist - The Guardian

COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Tuesday  Chicago Tribune

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COVID-19 in Illinois updates: Heres whats happening Tuesday - Chicago Tribune

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged Friday that a significant number of COVID-19 patients do not recover quickly, and instead experience ongoing symptoms, such as fatigue and cough.

As many as a third of patients who were never sick enough to be hospitalized are not back to their usual health up to three weeks after their diagnosis, the report found.

Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

"COVID-19 can result in prolonged illness even among persons with milder outpatient illness, including young adults," the report's authors wrote.

The acknowledgement is welcome news to patients who call themselves "long-haulers" suffering from debilitating symptoms weeks and even months after their initial infection.

"This report is monumental for all of us who have been struggling with fear of the unknown, lack of recognition and many times, a lack of belief and proper care from medical professionals during our prolonged recovery from COVID-19," Kate Porter, who is on day 129 of her recovery, wrote in an email to NBC News.

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Porter, 35, of Beverly, Massachusetts, has had low-grade fevers, fatigue, rapid heart beat, shortness of breath and memory and sleep issues since her diagnosis March 17.

"This gives me hope that we will gain access to more resources throughout our recovery and hopefully, get our lives back to what they once were," Porter wrote.

Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

The CDC report is based on telephone surveys of 274 COVID-19 patients. Ninety-five of those patients, or 35 percent, said they "had not returned to their usual state of health" when they were surveyed, which was at least two to three weeks after their first test.

Many with long-term symptoms are otherwise young and healthy: Among those surveyed between ages 18 and 34, about 20 percent experienced lasting symptoms.

"This report indicates that even among symptomatic adults tested in outpatient settings, it might take weeks for resolution of symptoms and return to usual health," the CDC authors wrote.

The report also pointed out that in contrast, "over 90 percent of outpatients with influenza recover within approximately two weeks" after a positive flu test.

Among the patients who experienced lasting symptoms in the CDC report, 71 percent reported fatigue, 61 percent had lasting cough, and 61 percent reported ongoing headaches.

The CDC added that preventative measures, such as physical distancing, face masks and frequent hand-washing, continue to be important to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."

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CDC: One-third of COVID-19 patients who aren't hospitalized have long-term illness - NBC News

Weve been bending over backward to report, he said.

Bruckel said Total Access Urgent Care recently changed lab companies for COVID-19 tests after a national lab, Quest Diagnostics, was sometimes taking more than 14 days to turn around results.

The company changed its primary lab company a few weeks ago and, Bruckel said, patients are now typically getting results within two to three days.

Page said the county is also working to improve its own processes by hiring three new employees to help the county notify patients of results more quickly and has been helping the state with its data entry in their antiquated system, he said.

Missouri has reported 44,823 confirmed cases and 1,213 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Missouri ranked 15th in the U.S. for the rate of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, according to an analysis by the New York Times. Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi topped the list, and Illinois, which includes St. Louis suburbs, ranked 32nd with 78 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 143 in Missouri.

The states rate of new cases on Tuesday prompted Chicago to add Missouri to its list of 22 states with travel restrictions. Beginning Friday, Chicago will require people traveling from Missouri to quarantine for two weeks, except for essential workers who must travel over state lines. Those who do not follow the order could face fines, according to Chicago officials.

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Missouri tops COVID-19 high for 9th time this month as St. Louis Co. calls out urgent care for testing delays - STLtoday.com