cases

Health

8 new COVID-19 deaths, 1,276 new cases in Minn.; state unveils new hospital data

By Shelton Muro 5 days ago

A revised dashboard with a daily count of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota was unveiled Thursday to inform hospital leaders about bed availability and the public about the spread of the coronavirus behind the pandemic.

The dashboard showed on Thursday that 139 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care units in Minnesota hospitals and another 939 patients with non-COVID medical problems were in ICU beds in the state. Another 318 patients with COVID-19 are in non-ICU beds in Minnesota hospitals and 6,639 patients are admitted to such beds for other medical needs.

Hospital leaders said they were blindsided last month when the Minnesota Department of Health removed similar data from its COVID-19 situation page, which they used to assess local beds and staffing needs. They welcomed the new dashboard information.

“It is important that we have a line of sight into what is occurring throughout the state, regionally and on a

Hospital

683 COVID-19 cases, 3 new known deaths

By Shelton Muro 1 week ago

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Arizona reported 683 new COVID-19 cases and three new known deaths Friday, as hospital metrics for the disease remain relatively stable from the day prior.

Identified cases rose to 224,084 and known deaths are at 5,746, according to the daily report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The number of patients hospitalized statewide for known or suspected COVID-19 was at 706 on Thursday, down from 728 on Wednesday, which was the most inpatients since Sept. 3. Inpatient numbers look to be plateauing and possibly increasing, but more time is needed to determine a trend. At the peak of Arizona’s surge in July, the number of hospitalized patients suspected or confirmed to have the virus exceeded 3,000.

The number of patients with suspected or known COVID-19 in intensive care units across Arizona was at 155 Thursday. The number has hovered between

Health

Cases and hospitalizations in California down more than 60% from their previous highs

By Shelton Muro 3 weeks ago

California agencies reported 4,159 new cases and 80 new deaths of the coronavirus as of Saturday, according to unofficial totals from public health websites. The cumulative number of coronavirus cases is 805,133 and 15,556 deaths.

The seven-day average of 3,336 new cases from the coronavirus represents a 66% decline since its high of 9,935, July 23, while the seven-day average of 85 new deaths is a 44% drop from its Aug. 15 high of 150, according to an analysis of data from public health websites Saturday.

Hospitalizations statewide are down 62% from their July 21 high of 8,820. According to health agencies, there were 3,307 people in the hospital for COVID-related reasons on Saturday, 177 fewer than reported the previous day.

All data on the state tracker is preliminary and subject to change.

According to the California Department of Public Health several counties were lowered to less restrictive levels of

Hospital

Illinois launches online system to track rape kits in new cases. But not every hospital is on board.

By Shelton Muro 4 weeks ago

Sexual assault survivors in Illinois now have the ability to track evidence in new cases.

a woman looking at the camera: A lab worker holds up a sexual assault evidence collection kit Sept. 22, 2009, at the Forensic Science Center run by the Illinois State Police in Chicago.

© Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune/TNS
A lab worker holds up a sexual assault evidence collection kit Sept. 22, 2009, at the Forensic Science Center run by the Illinois State Police in Chicago.

The Illinois State Police, which runs state laboratories that analyze DNA evidence, launched a long-awaited tracking system for rape kits in August. Survivors will receive a case number in a hospital emergency room that allows them to access location information.

Many survivors had been anticipating tracking their kits, but the system is not retroactive; tracking numbers are assigned only for new cases, according to ISP.

Beth Hundsdorfer, a spokesperson for Illinois State Police, said survivors with cases before Aug. 14 should check with the investigating agency for more information. She noted that lab work on all previous sexual assault cases should be

Health

3 more COVID cases linked to American’s bar crawl in Bavaria

By Shelton Muro 4 weeks ago

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in southern Germany have recorded three more COVID-19 infections in people who frequented bars visited by a 26-year-old American woman suspected of flouting quarantine rules in the Alpine resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The latest cases take the total number of recent infections in the town to 59, including 25 staff at a hotel resort where the woman worked that caters to U.S. military personnel.

Anton Speer, who heads the county administration, told reporters Tuesday that authorities are still waiting for the results of about 300 tests conducted Monday and it was too soon to give the “all-clear.” The three new infections emerged from 740 tests conducted over the weekend.

Bavaria’s governor, Markus Soeder, called the outbreak in Garmisch-Partenkirchen “a model case of stupidity” because the 26-year-old American had gone partying despite having COVID-19 symptoms and awaiting a test result.

Soeder said “such recklessness must have consequences” and

Health

New coronavirus cases are emerging at schools. How much you know depends on where you live

By Shelton Muro 2 months ago

As children and teachers started returning to classrooms over the past few weeks, new cases of COVID-19 emerged, forcing some schools to temporarily shift to online-learning only and hundreds of students to quarantine at home until their health was assured.

While those developments have been well-documented, it’s what remains unknown that has been more troubling for some parents and educators.

Information that schools, health officials and state agencies share about known cases varies substantially, leaving some stakeholders to wonder how safe they or their children may be when new cases emerge.

In Gainesville, Florida, where several staff members working at an in-person summer program contracted coronavirus, the absence of a communitywide notification protocol allowed rumors and fear to spread. Despite assurances from district officials that they will share as much information as they can about cases this fall, some parents and teachers remain skeptical that they will learn enough, soon

Health

U.S. Cases Slow as Deaths Pass 1,000 for Fifth Day: Virus Update

By Shelton Muro 2 months ago

(Bloomberg) —

The U.S. added 47,813 virus cases, a 0.9% rise that compares with a 1% increase over the previous week. Nationwide deaths exceeded 1,000 for the fifth consecutive day. A measure of intensive-care hospitalizations in California rose to the highest in seven weeks.

Italy told nightclubs to close, matching a similar directive by Spain on Friday. France’s public health agency warned that all of the country’s Covid-19 indicators are trending upward.

Russia agreed in principle with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to conduct clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine, the head of its sovereign wealth fund said. China and Russia may also work together on a vaccine, a Chinese virus expert said.

Key Developments:

Global Tracker: Global cases approach 21.5 million; deaths pass 771,500How $50,000-a-year private schools plan for Covid: NYC ReopensFirst into the virus slump, China is proving the fastest outRussia’s new Sputnik launch raises risks

Medicine

California encouraged by trends even as it passes 600,000 coronavirus cases, most in U.S.

By Shelton Muro 2 months ago

By Bill Tarrant

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California became the first U.S. state to surpass 600,000 cases of COVID-19 on Friday and the Midwest saw several record one-day rises as some states struggled to contain the pandemic even as a few welcomed students back to school campuses.

California went over 603,000 novel coronavirus cases on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, although Governor Gavin Newsom said he was encouraged to see that hospitalizations have declined 20% over the past two weeks and admissions to ICU wards were down 14% in the same period.

“The number that really matters to us is that positivity rate,” he said when asked about the 600,000 case-milestone at a news conference on Friday. The positivity rate – the number of confirmed infections as a percentage of tests done – has declined from 7% to 6% statewide over the past 14 days, Newsom said.

“I’m not

Medicine

Quarantine ‘triggered’ for any country with more than 20 cases per 100,000, Grant Shapps confirms

By Shelton Muro 2 months ago

British holidaymakers will have to quarantine if they return after 4am tomorrow - Getty — British holidaymakers will have to quarantine if they return after 4am tomorrow – Getty

The UK may impose quarantine on any country with more than 20 cases per 100,000 people, Grant Shapps has said.

The Transport Secretary said once infection rates reach this level it can “trigger” the removal of travel corridors, meaning travellers will have to self-isolate when they arrive in the UK for 14 days.

He told the Today programme: “With France and these other countries, Netherlands and elsewhere, the numbers have now just gone above the threshold, which is about 20 case per 100,000, but measured on a seven day rolling average.

“That is what the Joint BioSecurity Centre will be looking at,” he said, noting France had “breached” the level.

In the week to July 25, when the quarantine for anyone returning to the UK from Spain was announced, the case numbers per 100,000 had risen

Medicine

New Zealand confirms new cases of Covid-19 in community as Auckland locked down

By Shelton Muro 2 months ago

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that Auckland will be placed under temporary lockdown following an outbreak in the area.

She said four people from one family in South Auckland had been confirmed to have acquired coronavirus from an unknown source.

Prior to the outbreak, New Zealand had gone more than 100 days without community transmission of coronavirus.

Jacinda Ardern said that the new restrictions would allow health officials to “assess the situation”.

“After 102 days, we have our first cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine facilities… While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned and prepared for it,” she said.

“We are asking people in Auckland to stay home to