Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have provided near-daily updates of new confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
Similarly, the state health department has kept a running count of probable cases and deaths, meaning they are likely to be COVID-19 infections, however they havent been confirmed by the most accurate of tests.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Department of Health and Human Services has tracked 42,232 probable cases -- 740 more than the day prior. The department has also tracked 741 probable deaths -- 28 more than the day prior. Thats in addition to the 504,410 cases and 12,867 deaths that have been confirmed as COVID-19.
Practically speaking, it doesnt matter for an individual case if its deemed probable or confirmed, said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, medical director of infection prevention for Henry Ford Health System.
If Im seeing you in the emergency room or a doctors office and you have the symptoms and the antigen test, thats probably enough for me to make a diagnosis, Cunningham said. If youre not sick enough to be in the hospital, thats more than good enough.
These (confirmed and probable) are just terms people who look at outbreaks use to track and better understand disease transmission.
But what makes a case probably COVID-19? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a case is considered probable if an individual reports:
There are two main types of test for diagnosing an active COVID-19 infection: PCR and antigen. A coronavirus case isnt confirmed until an individual has a PCR test come back positive for COVID-19.
PCR tests are considered the gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 detection. They look for the RNA -- or genetic blueprints -- of the virus and a positive result means you have a current or recent coronavirus infection, Cunningham said.
An antigen test, meanwhile, seeks out the protein found on the outside of the virus. Positive results from an antigen test spark a probable case, according to MDHHS policy, until a PCR test can confirm its finding of an infection.
Cunningham said some antigen tests are really good but noted that they trade in some level of accuracy for speed. They may also be tricked by a similar protein found in another less-serious coronavirus, which can cause more of a common cold.
Both PCR and antigen tests are conducted by nasal swab. Both can have same-day results, though antigen tests typically offer the quickest turnaround times. Thus, its hard to know which youve had done without asking your test provider.
Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for MDHHS, said there are cases where an individual might have symptoms of COVID-19 and a known exposure to a positive case in their home. In that case, that person would be considered a probable case, whether they got an antigen test but no follow-up PCR test, or whether they decided not to get tested all together.
Probable cases can be changed to confirmed cases, MDHHS, upon processing of a positive PCR test.
Similarly to cases, deaths can also be deemed probable under the same circumstances, or if a death certificate lists COVID-19 as a cause of death without a PCR test to confirm.
Sutfin said if someone dies after receiving positive antigen test results for COVID-19, they likely wouldnt have a PCR test done postmortem to confirm the diagnosis unless someone requested it.
Being a confirmed COVID-19 death or a probable death, Im not sure for many folks if it makes a lot of difference, she said.
National data, as well as data from some states, combine confirmed cases and deaths with probable ones, while others like Michigan report them separately. Michigan updates its counts most weekdays around 3 p.m. through its online COVID-19 dashboard.
For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page, here. To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Read more on MLive:
128K Michiganders have received the coronavirus vaccine in first three weeks
Michigan to distribute 3.5 million free KN95 masks to protect against COVID-19
Michigan surpasses 500K confirmed coronavirus cases
Michigan lists 106 new coronavirus outbreaks and 943 ongoing clusters in Jan. 4 report
The Times Union is providing free access to this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work,consider a digital subscription.
Albany County saw one more death and 283 new coronavirus cases overnight.
County Executive Dan McCoy said Thursday that there were also 20 more residents hospitalized, for a total of 163, a new record. Of those, 19 are in intensive care.
Read more
___
Schenectady County is enlisting local organizations to help identify people 75 years and older who could be eligible to receive vaccines when a new round of inoculations begin.
"We're starting to prepare for the logistics of going into 1B," said Schenectady County Manager Rory Fluman on Thursday of the county's efforts to lay the ground work to vaccinate the next round of older people after the initial roll out of inoculations were given in skilled nursing facilities.
A letter put out by the county Department of Senior & Long Term Care Services indicated the next round could start as soon as the second week of January though Fluman said Thursday that county officials are awaiting word from the state Health Department and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office on when they can officially start to administer the vaccines.
The letter to various organizations that offer services to the elderly population asks for help identifying people in that age range who may qualify for the vaccine.
Read more
___
The Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is in talks with the University at Albany to make its pooled saliva tests available to school districts to screen students and staff for COVID-19.
Read more
___
Additional updates from Wednesday
Coronavirus patients account for 16.81% of southwest Ohios hospital beds and 23.40% of ICU beds. There are 2,012 (27.76%) hospital and 181 (15.86%) ICU beds available.
Statewide, there have been 6,065 total ICU admissions related to coronavirus throughout the pandemic, with 43 reported Wednesday.
Ohio recorded 7,814 daily cases today for a total of 742,817.
Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to release more details about Ohios next phase of vaccinations over the next few days.
Currently the state is in Phase 1A, which includes health care workers residents and staff at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and veterans homes; and EMS responders.
In two weeks, Ohio is expected to start vaccinating Ohioans ages 65 and older, those with severe developmental and medical disorders and staff at K-12 schools under Phase 1B. An estimated 2,211,000 make up the group.
Vaccinations for Phase 1A would continue to take place as they begin for the next group.
Information about where those in Phase 1B can receive the vaccine should be released in a few days, DeWine said.
Ohio is planning to utilize different ways to make the vaccine accessible and convenient, including using drive-thrus, fairgrounds and individual health care providers.
On average the state is receiving about 100,000 vaccines a week.
The University of South Florida soon will begin administering coronavirus vaccine to eligible faculty, staff and students, as well as to patients of USF Health, school officials announced Thursday.
People receiving the vaccinations must be 65 or older, but USF is taking steps to broaden the effort to other groups later. The school has taken a survey to gauge interest in the vaccine among university faculty and members of their immediate households when additional doses become available.
University spokesman Adam Freeman said USF expects to receive an initial 2,300 doses of the vaccine produced by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The effort is being undertaken through a partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County.
The vaccine will be free and administered at the USF Health Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care by appointment only. Additional locations will be opened later.
The University of Florida began administering vaccines to faculty and staff above 65 last week. Earlier this week, they had administered around 600 vaccines to those of 1,100 identified eligible.
* More growth in view for one of few countries to expand in 2020
* Strict virus controls a boost for investment appeal vs peers
* Two free trade deals in 2020; manufacturers lured from China
* Vietnam funds cite ease in attracting foreign investment
HANOI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Vietnams success in curbing the coronavirus so far, while its Southeast Asia neighbours struggle, is helping the country power ahead in economic growth and attracting funds, foreign investors, experts and analysts say.
Its strength in containing the pandemic saw it build on the foundations of two free trade agreements signed in 2020, also outpacing peers in luring manufacturers moving production out of China because of the Beijing-Washington trade war. Vietnam was one of the worlds few countries to record growth last year - well down on 2019, but still a 2.9% expansion.
Vietnam watchers expect the country to ride high as long as it keeps the virus - resurgent in many countries - at bay. Thanks to rigorously targeted testing, a centralised quarantine programme and early border closures, Vietnams coronavirus tally stands at just over 1,500 cases and 35 deaths to date - far fewer than any comparable country given its population of nearly 98 million.
The successful management of the pandemic to date has already enabled the country to capture a larger share of global trade and FDI (foreign direct investment) during 2020, said Carolyn Turk, the World Banks country director in Vietnam.
Parliament has set an economic growth target of 6% for this year, but Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, looking to extend his term or rise up the Communist Party of Vietnams ranks, said last month that Vietnam would target 6.5%.
At WHA Group, a Thai logistics firm which has expanded its industrial estate business in Vietnam, chairwoman Jareeporn Jarukornsakul said investors who had wanted to relocate operations to Thailand from China had not been able to do so because the coronavirus had spread in Thailand.
While infrastructure and regulatory issues are worse in Vietnam than in Thailand, she said, Costs are cheap in Vietnam and its government is very quick with investment, allowing provinces to issue their own regulations and investment incentives.
Still, there is much work to be done, even if the country does retain its prowess in handling the coronavirus: Vietnam suffers from a lack of highly-skilled labour, its dated bureaucracy is in need of digitisation and there is an over-reliance on polluting coal imports to fuel development.
But the cocktail of positives flowing through the economy currently has left foreign-invested asset managers in Vietnam able to raise significant amounts, for example, with some reporting oversubscribed funds.
On Monday, Ho Chi Minh City-based Mekong Capital said it had raised $246 million for its largest-ever fund - nearly 25% more than the original target of $200 million.
Dominic Scriven, chairman of Vietnamese asset manager Dragon Capital said a combination of the countrys trade deals, more cash in the economy and political stability had underpinned better-than-expected interest across three new funds launched by his firm.
We were very pleasantly surprised by the market uptake, said Scriven.
That extra cash, along with savings accounts offering declining interest rates after three cuts in the central banks policy rate since March, has created a surge in local stock market investors.
The number of new investors has increased so much that the benchmark Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange has been forced to halt afternoon trading in order to process the surge.
Development was also boosted by the two free trade deals signed last year: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the worlds largest trading block, and an agreement with Britain modelled on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which Vietnam ratified in June.
Hanoi also has bilateral trade deals with both South Korea and Japan, its largest sources of foreign direct investment, and is a signatory to the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The trade deal push has given it an advantage over some of its regional competitors. The EVFTA in particular has put Vietnam clearly on the map, said Sven Schneider, Chief Executive of the EU-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce.
Malaysia, on the other hand, is only waking up to this missed opportunity now, said Schneider.
WHA Groups Jareeporn also said the EVFTA had given Vietnam an advantage. If an industry needs cheap labour, its definitely going to Vietnam, Jareeporn said.
In the short term, Vietnam is well placed to pull ahead of its regional rivals in 2021, just as it holds a massive Communist Party meeting to select a new leadership later this month.
Its safe, the government functions smoothly, and in face of impediments like COVID the country rises to the challenge without hesitation and wins, Chad Ovel, partner at Mekong Capital, said.
Vietnam has clearly earned its position as the most attractive investment destination in Southeast Asia.
Reporting by James Pearson; Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur and Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Sriring in Bangkok; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Ohio Department of Health has reported nearly 1,000 coronavirus deaths to patients of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities over the last four weeks, including 203 reported Wednesday.
With the total now reaching 5,059 since the onset of coronavirus in Ohio about a year ago, the long-term care facilities account for 54% of all known COVID-19 deaths in the state.
The state health department in its weekly update for the facilities reported 3,785 current cases involving patients, and another 2,427 involving long-term care facility staff. Current cases are defined as those active during the seven-day period ending Tuesday.
The state began tracking nursing home cases by facility on April 15. There have been 39,667 patient cases and 27,529 staff cases since then.
The health department each Wednesday provides updates on deaths by county and cases by facility for the long-term care facilities. Facility-by-facility details can be found below.
This weeks report listed 4,690 deaths for cases since April 15. Separately, the department has said another 369 patient deaths pre-date the start of the more detailed tracking on April 15.
Among the deaths since April 15, with the most are Franklin (429), Cuyahoga (389), Summit (380), Lucas (249), Mahoning (206) and Stark (204).
Below is a list of case totals by facility. If you are having trouble viewing the list, use this link instead.
Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. See other data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.
Previous stories
What you need to know about the new stimulus checks, and $300 extra weekly in unemployment benefits: Thats Rich! Q&A
Mapping Ohios coronavirus cases, updates, trends: hospitalizations down, but December sets record for deaths
See how many coronavirus vaccines in your county Ohio reports have been administered
UKRAINE - 2020/11/24: In this photo illustration a medical syringe and a vial with fake coronavirus ... [+] vaccine seen in front of the Johnson & Johnson logo. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is expected to report interim data from the phase 3 trial of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate this month, providing insight into its safety and efficacy. The company has completed enrollment on the trial, with 45,000 people for the trial, below its initial target of 60,000, although this is unlikely to make a difference as higher rates of Coronavirus infections in the U.S. are likely to allow it to gather the data it needs with fewer volunteers. If all goes well, J&J could apply for emergency use approval from the U.S. FDA as early as February. Although J&J is at least two months behind Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) who have already started to roll out their vaccines, J&Js shot could be much sought after if it proves as safe and effective as rivals, considering that it likely requires only a single dose, unlike rival vaccines which require two shots to be given a few weeks apart.
Overall, the vaccine isnt expected to really move the needle for J&J financially, as it intends to sell the vaccine at cost through the pandemic. However, the vaccine should help the company rebuild its brand image after it faced setbacks amid lawsuits relating to contamination of its baby and other talc products. Secondly, the end of Covid-19 should bode well for diversified healthcare companies like Johnson and Johnson JNJ , as hospital visits and elective procedures rise. The focus could also shift back to the companys blockbuster drugs, including Stelara, Imbruvica, and Darzalex, which posted about 22% y-o-y growth over the first nine months of 2020.
See our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines.
[Updated 12/7/2020] Covid-19 Vaccine stocks
Johnson & Johnson is seen as a key player in the Covid-19 vaccine race. The company started phase 3 trials in September and expects to file for emergency approval by early 2021 if the vaccine is safe and effective. While rivals Pfizer PFE and Modernas vaccines will have a head start, given that they have completed phase 3 trials with exceptionally strong results and are likely to start shipping their vaccines in the coming weeks, Johnson & Johnsons candidate remains promising for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the company is targeting a single-dose regimen for the vaccine, unlike most of the other players which require two doses (although it also started a two-dose regimen to evaluate incremental benefits). This should make it much easier to administer at the time of a pandemic, putting less stress on the healthcare infrastructure. Secondly, the distribution could also be relatively seamless as the vaccine is expected to remain stable for at least three months at refrigerator-like temperatures, unlike some other vaccines (such as Pfizers) that need specialized freezers. The vaccine is also likely to be relatively affordable. Per a deal with the U.S. government, Johnson & Johnson has priced its vaccine at about $10 per dose. Thats well below Pfizers ($19 per dose) and Moderna ($25 to $37 per dose). Although the vaccine is unlikely to move the needle for the company in the near-term, as it will provide the shots for a not-for-profit basis through the pandemic, it could have an incremental impact post that.
See our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines.
[Updated 11/4/2020] Covid-19 Vaccine stocks
Our indicative theme of Covid-19 Vaccine stocks which includes a diverse set of U.S.-based pharma and biotech companies developing Covid vaccines is up by about 560% year-to-date, on an equally weighted basis, compared to the S&P 500 which has gained just about 4% over the same period. While most vaccine stocks declined last week, amid a broader sell-off in the markets, they are likely to come back into the spotlight as efficacy data from late-stage trials is expected from frontrunners Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ NDAQ : MRNA) in the coming weeks. Below is a bit more on the companies in our theme of Coronavirus Vaccine stocks and their relative performance.
Novavax NVAX , a vaccine development company, began late-stage trials of its Covid vaccine in the U.K in September, and large-scale phase 3 trials are due to begin in the U.S. and Mexico this month. While the company doesnt have any other products on the market yet, its flu vaccine NanoFlu could be ready for potential FDA approval. The company has received about $1.6 billion in funding from the Federal government. The stock has soared 2,000% year-to-date.
NVAX
Moderna , a clinical-stage biotech company, is carrying out phase 3 trials of its Covid-19 vaccine, completing enrollment of 30,000 participants. The company is likely to have data on whether its vaccine works or not by this month, and has noted that it would seek emergency approval from the FDA if the vaccine is at least 70% effective. The stock is up 253% this year.
Johnson & Johnson: Unlike most other vaccine candidates, which are likely to require two shots, J&J is targeting a single-dose vaccine. While the company had to pause trials in mid-October after an illness was reported in a volunteer, the company is now preparing to resume trials. The stock is down by -5.1% this year.
Pfizer is working with German partner BioNTech on a Covid-19 vaccine. The company is likely to have efficacy data from late-stage trials available shortly. The company could supply about 40 million doses in the United States in 2020 if the data is positive and regulators approve the vaccine. The stock is down by about -7.6% this year.
Trefis
What if youre looking for a more balanced portfolio instead? Heres a high-quality portfolio to beat the market, with over 100% return since 2016, versus about 55% for the S&P 500. Comprised of companies with strong revenue growth, healthy profits, lots of cash, and low risk, it has outperformed the broader market year after year, consistently.
See allTrefis Price EstimatesandDownloadTrefis Datahere
Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams |Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams
Houston is one of 20 cities across the U.S. where kids 12 to 17 years old are able to take part in the vaccine trial.
HOUSTON As vaccines roll out across the country, Moderna's vaccine trials now expanding to teens and Houston will play a pivotal role.
"We're one of 20 sites in the whole U.S. which is amazing," said Dr. Sarah Hasan, a researcher with DM Clinical Research.
Just last week, the Houston Fights COVID Movement together with the Cy-Fair Clinical Research Center began vaccinating kids and teens for Moderna.
"Right now we're in the hundreds and looking to be in the thousands," said Hasan. "We're looking for teenagers between 12 and 17 to be part of this initiative."
There's no cap on how many can participate.
"We're looking for kids, generally healthy, able to take vaccinations and able to come in for the study visits" said Hasan.
Parents have a lot of questions about possible side effects, but so do teens.
"Teenagers themselves have a lot of questions," said Hasan. "Everyone knows about COVID-19 so that scare factor is there."
Hasan says the trial is safe and effective especially after months of studying the vaccine in adults. The children will be monitored for 13 months and need to return for 6 follow up visits. She says it's one of the quickest ways for teens and kids to get vaccine protection.
"Being a part of the study gives kids a chance to get protection sooner rather than later," said Hasan. "They have a 2 in 1 chance to get vaccine over the placebo. If these kids are out there getting the vaccine at least they're getting the protection and able to go back to school faster and safer as well."
If you're interested in signing up, you can do so at HoustonFightsCOVID.com. Participating teens will receive up to $1,000 for participating.
Getting the vaccine made me more grateful than ever for tireless scientists and researchers.
Ten minutes after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, I climbed behind the wheel of my truck outside of Holy Cross Hospital in Taos, New Mexico, and felt a strong physical urge to curl up in the seat and take a nap. I had planned to spend my afternoon on a mountain bike in the badlands north of Santa Fe. It was New Year's Eve, and I was just shy of my goal of 1,000 biking miles for 2020.
Instead, I spent the final hours of a historic and horrendous year sitting on my couch, groggily feeling as grateful for technology and tireless scientists and researchers as I ever have.
The dose circulating in my bloodstream was developed in record time using brand new technologies. Past vaccines have taken several years to get to the public, with the mumps vaccine holding the previous record at four years.
Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna -- the only two currently authorized for emergency use in the US -- use synthetic messenger RNA, or mRNA. This molecule contains a bit of the genetic code of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and stimulates the immune system to build up its defenses against the virus without actually being exposed to it.
I tend to melt around needles, but the COVID-19 vaccine injection delivered the least pain and anxiety I've ever experienced from the mean end of a syringe. I would easily prefer getting stuck again with one filled withPfizer's COVID-19 vaccineover stepping on a wayward Lego any day.
The opportunity to get the vaccine so early came as a surprise.
The Pfizer vaccine was only authorized on Dec. 11, with the Moderna vaccine approved a week later. On Dec. 29, I registered to get the shot on a New Mexico Department of Health website. Based on my age (41) and risk factors (none), it seemed I could expect to wait several months before it would be my turn to get a shot in the arm.
The following day, unrelated to my registration, I received a group message from the leader of the local search and rescue group I volunteer with. Turns out trained and mission-ready members of our group were eligible to receive the vaccine right away along with other first responders.
Now playing: Watch this: Will a COVID-19 vaccine be a triumph of science or soul-searching?
16:51
The truth is I'm at relatively low risk of coming in contact with the virus. My wife and I work from home in a rural area, and our daughter hasn't seen the inside of a classroom since March.
But every few months or so, I spend a day (or a very long night) on a mission working with other search and rescue personnel and first responders to find someone lost in the millions of acres of forest, mountains, desert and river canyon that draw countless skiers, rafters, bikers and hikers here year-round.
Normally, I'll also spend a few days a month training in the field, practicing avalanche rescue or working with search dogs, among numerous other skills. I pass a couple more evenings each month in classroom sessions. But all that in-person training has been suspended since March to comply with state emergency health orders.
The mission call-outs haven't stopped, however. We've just added masks and hand sanitizer to our mission packs, among other new precautions.
So when some members of our team said it didn't quite seem right for us to receive the vaccine so early -- ahead of even the elderly and behind only frontline health care workers -- I agreed. We were encouraged to reconsider by our team leader.
The hope is we may begin to resume in-person training as soon as February and be able to respond to missions with that much more confidence in our skills and, hopefully, in our immunity to COVID-19.
Getting the shot was a pretty routine and literally painless process considering the months of anticipation for the big moment. Our team was invited to come to a building at the hospital set up for vaccinations during a one-hour window. We entered through tents in the parking lot on a crisp winter morning, and we waited for our temperatures to be taken and for a little paperwork to be completed.
Anyone without a sufficient mask (no bandanas here) was given a fresh one wrapped in plastic. After a little more processing and paperwork, we each got a stick in the arm, a Band-Aid and a vaccination card with instructions to return in three weeks for a second dose.
After getting stuck I was led to another room supervised by a traveling nurse to wait for about five minutes just in case of a sudden allergic reaction. We were also told to take it easy on the way home as such reactions usually crop up within about an hour. My teammates thanked the nurse for her work. She shared some anecdotes from the past year. Most were positive patient experiences, but there was also the story of the man at an Oklahoma gas station who berated her for pumping gas while wearing scrubs for fear she might contaminate the pump.
A very nice holiday card.
We all gave thanks for the coming New Year, and the nurse handed me another fresh mask wrapped in plastic and instructed me to continue to wear one and to practice social distancing.
I also received instructions for downloading a CDC smartphone appto track and report any side effects (or lack thereof) over the next few days.
In the first four days, I reported no side effects save for a little soreness around the injection spot in the first 24 hours. On day five, a headache and wave of nausea kept me in bed all morning, but I can't be sure that was tied to the vaccine. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was dehydration from a hike the previous evening.
The bottom line is that after my first dose, I feel fine, and now I have 12 fresh months to log 1,000 miles on my bike.
I'll report back again after my second dose later this month. Meanwhile, I'm adding a new profession to my gratitude list. Along with health care and essential workers and all the others that have kept us going, I now also think about the dedicated folks who spend countless hours in labs around the world. I imagine each one of those hours has brought us days closer to a return to normal life.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Hundreds of WCSD employees to receive COVID-19 vaccine starting Saturday Reno Gazette Journal
