Michigan on Saturdayreported 193 additional deaths linked to the COVID-19 virus, surpassing the previous record of 190 set Tuesday.
Saturday's deathsinclude 145 identified during a vital records review. Tuesday's totalincluded 30 deaths identified during a review, according to state data.
The state reported 6,004 new confirmed cases on Saturday. The latest figuresbring thetotal number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Michigan to 395,036 and deaths to 9,854, according to tracking by the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Teena Chopra, a professor of infectious disease with Wayne State University, said even though some ofthe latest death figures are based on vital record reviews, "deaths are deaths."
"These are human beings who have died of COVID," she said. "These numbers are real."
The state, she said, remains in a surge and she expects "some dark days ahead of us."
Michigan reported atotal of 45,015 new cases this week. It reported 47,316 new cases last week and established the weekly record of 50,892 casestwo weeks ago.
The state was averagingnearly 84 daily cases per 100,000 people in the last week the 10th highest rate in the country, according to ranking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sixteen percent of diagnostic COVID tests run in the state in the past week are coming back positive, according to state data. A positivity rate above 3% is concerning to public health officials.
Of the state's COVID patients, 2,585 are in intensive care units and ICU beds are at 81% capacity, according to state data from Friday. There are 1,552 patients on ventilators.
As of Friday, 4,113adults were hospitalized statewide with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That's compared with 2,199 COVID inpatientson Nov. 4.
The state was tracking at least 969 active outbreaks as of last week. Top categories for outbreaks continue to be long-term care facilities, including nursing homes as well as manufacturing and construction sites and schools.
On Monday, 221 new outbreaks were reported across the state, including 21 new retail-employee associated outbreaks, 19 office-setting outbreaks and 25 outbreaks related to construction.
Long term care facilities and K-12 schools reported the largest number of outbreaks with 47 coming from nursing facilities and assisted living and 32 from school settings.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmerannounced new restrictions in Novemberlimiting gatherings at high schools, colleges and restaurants to combat what she described as the "worst moment" yet in the pandemic.
The policies temporarily halt in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, indoor dine-in service at restaurants and bars, and high school athletics as well as close some businesses, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and casinos.
Whitmer, during a Thursday afternoon news conference, said that the activity around Thanksgiving was"concerning" and she expects the upcoming Christmas holiday will create even more potential for virus spread.
The governor said that the state intends to get "a few more days of information under our belts" before making a decision on "if we have to make some extensions of the current pause in some realms."
"That is sadly possible because of the sheer volume of COVID," Whitmer said.
Chopra said medical professionals continue to see younger patients who traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday or attended parties. With the upcoming Christmas holiday, she's concerned about continued spikes in the virus into January.
"I don't think that there is any way we are out of the woods," she said. "We are continuing to surge and continuing to see very sick patients."
Chopra encouraged residents to stay on high alert by wearing face coverings in public and to limit gatheringsto their immediate household contacts only.
"You want to remain in your own bubble and of course you want to be masked when you are outside and socially distance yourself," she said.
As the state considers 165,269 people recovered from the virus as of Nov. 25, state officials are anticipating vaccines as soon as drug makers report encouraging results in trials.
cferretti@detroitnews.com
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TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., December 4,2020, there have been 1,180,491 total confirmatorylaboratory results received for COVID-19, with 52,172totalcases and 799 deaths.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 53-year old female from HardyCounty, a 72-year old female from Lewis County, a 64-year old male fromMarshall County, a 55-year old male from Kanawha County, a 65-year old malefrom Berkeley County, an 82-year old female from Mingo County, a 89-year oldmale from Brooke County, a 95-year old female from Putnam County, an 85-yearold female from Putnam County, and a 94-year old female from Ohio County.
We mourn with all families suffering theloss of loved ones due to COVID-19, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR CabinetSecretary. I urge all West Virginians to continue to follow all of the safetyrecommendations.
CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (482), Berkeley (3,617),Boone (703), Braxton (134), Brooke (753), Cabell (3,177), Calhoun (89), Clay(147), Doddridge (130), Fayette (1,226), Gilmer (215), Grant (440), Greenbrier(592), Hampshire (394), Hancock (851), Hardy (347), Harrison (1,581), Jackson(733), Jefferson (1,486), Kanawha (6,023), Lewis (262), Lincoln (455), Logan(1,114), Marion (989), Marshall (1,396), Mason (580), McDowell (663), Mercer(1,423), Mineral (1,491), Mingo (1,023), Monongalia (3,490), Monroe (404),Morgan (326), Nicholas (399), Ohio (1,708), Pendleton (121), Pleasants (118),Pocahontas (239), Preston (751), Putnam (2,135), Raleigh (1,742), Randolph(777), Ritchie (195), Roane (209), Summers (290), Taylor (382), Tucker (168),Tyler (164), Upshur (551), Wayne (1,113), Webster (70), Wetzel (454), Wirt(129), Wood (2,910), Wyoming (811).
Please note that delaysmay be experienced with the reporting of information from the local healthdepartment to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local healthdepartment level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may notbe a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in questionmay have crossed the state border to be tested.
Please visit the dashboard located at www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.
Free COVID-19 testing daily events scheduled fortoday:
BarbourCounty
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Junior Volunteer Fire Department, 331 Row Avenue,Junior, WV
BerkeleyCounty
Boone County
10:00 AM 3:00 PM, Boone County Health Department, 213 Kenmore Drive,Danville, WV
CabellCounty
9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Cabell-Huntington Health Department, 703Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (flu shots offered)
Doddridge County
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Doddridge County Park, 1252 Snowbird Road, West Union,WV (in the barn)
Grant County
10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Petersburg Elementary School, 333 Rig Street,Petersburg, WV
Hampshire County
1:00 PM 6:00 PM, Hampshire County Fairgrounds, Fairground Drive, Augusta,WV (at the dining hall)
Harrison County
9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Harrison-Clarksburg Health Department, 330 West MainStreet, Clarksburg, WV (by appointment; call 304-623-9308)
Jefferson County
9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Jefferson County Health Department, Front Parking Lot,1948 Wiltshire Road, Kearneysville, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
2:30 PM 6:30 PM, Shepherd University, Parking Lot beside Wellness Center,164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Kanawha County
8:00 AM 3:30 PM, Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, 108 Lee Street,E., Charleston, WV (by appointment; 304-348-8080 and pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
12:00 PM 7:00 PM, ShawneeSports Complex, One Salango Way, Dunbar, WV (flu shots offeredand pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Logan County
Marshall County
Mason County
Mercer County
9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Mercer County Health Department, 978 Blue Prince Road,Bluefield, WV
Mingo County
10:00 AM 4:00 PM, Hurley Drug Company, 210 Logan Street, Williamson, WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, 25621, 2nd Avenue and Dickenson Street,Williamson, WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Lenore K-8 School, 1 Ranger Drive, Williamson, WV
Morgan County
11:00 AM 6:00 PM, Berkeley Baptist Church (Family Life Center), 172Winchester Grade Road, Berkeley Springs, WV
Nicholas County
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, St. Lukes United Methodist Church, 18001 W. WebsterRoad, Craigsville, WV
Ohio County
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, 355 Fire HouseLane, Valley Grove, WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Warwood Fire Station 9, 1301 Richland Avenue, Wheeling,WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Wheeling Island Fire Station 5, 11 North Wabash Street,Wheeling, WV
Taylor County
Wood County
10:00 AM 1:00 PM, Jackson Park Recreation Center, 510 33rdStreet, Vienna, WV (pre-registration: www.ipsumcovidresults.com)
Wyoming County
11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Mullens Opportunity Council, Route 10, Mullens, WV
Additional free testing events will be held Saturday, December 5in Berkeley, Doddridge, Hampshire, Jefferson, Logan, Marshall, Mingo, Morgan, Ohio,and Wyoming counties.
There are many ways to obtain free testing in West Virginia. Pleasevisit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for more testing options.
Langlauf, Spokanes 40-year-old cross country ski race, is the latest casualty of COVID-19.
As COVID-19 rates roar regionally, organizers decided to cancel the February race.
It was a really hard decision to make, co-founder Tim Ray said. We hope to be back better than ever next year.
Organizers considered a staggered start, which may have allowed them to space out people more, but that would have taken more time and required more volunteer hours. Plus, the traditional gathering after the race, at which everyone eats soup, sips hot drinks and accepts awards and raffles all while crammed into a steamy, sweaty lodge would have been a superspreader event in the making.
Instead, throughout February, the 10-kilometer course will be marked, allowing would-be Langlaufers a chance to complete the race.
Ray asked that anyone who does so donate to the Spokane Nordic Association (see sidebar).
Conceived as Bloomsday on snow, the classic skiing race started in 1980 and was the brainchild of two elite athletes looking for close-to-home competition, while also introducing others to the sport.
Since then, its been canceled a handful of times due to low snowfall. This year, of course, is different.
Although Langlauf has fallen to the pandemic, the virus may have provided an unintended boost to the sport.
As the virus has shuttered gyms and sent people outside looking for some relief, sports like cross country skiing have seen a spike in users.
Manufacturers are sold out of everything, said Robin DeRuwe, the owner of Fitness Fanatics. This is a year unlike any other.
She placed all of her orders in February, just before COVID-19 hit the United States. Reordering now would be near impossible, she said.
As for folks looking to get into the sport, nows the time to buy.
If you dont get it now, you probably arent going to get it, she said.
The increased interest makes sense. Cross country skiing is the perfect social distancing thing she said. Maintaining 6 feet of separation is a near requisite and its outside.
During a normal year, a surge of interest would be a boon for an event like Langlauf. Over the decades, participation has ebbed. In 2019, 220 people finished, 23 more than in 2020. During the races heyday, close to 400 people would cross the finish line.
Its the same story across the United States, with cross country ski sales peaking in the 1980s at 800,000 pairs sold annually, according to XCresorts.com, an online industry magazine. Since then, sales have dropped to fewer than 200,000 pairs sold a year.
And now as ridiculous as it sounds, the pandemic offers another anticipated bull market for XC skiing, co-founder Roger Lohr wrote in a September article.
Exactly how bullish that market turns out to be isnt clear. Whether it leads to an increase in skiers after the pandemic is a big what-if, DeRuwe said. She also worries that the lack of inventory may mean some skiers will head out with subpar gear.
Yes, I like to make money, she said. But at the same time, Im passionate about my sport. We want people to have the right equipment and the right stuff.
Shes seeing the increased demand. On Wednesday, several customers came after being unable to find what they needed at REI.
As for the cancellation of Langlauf, that will likely impact DuRuwes sales.
Langlauf is a race, but its also a fun event, she said. So people will gear up to get better performance equipment to beat their neighbor or friends.
Thats not to mention equipment rental. At the end of the day, she said, If we have snow in town, it doesnt matter if its a pandemic or not, all of a sudden we rent equipment.
That truism is what Spokane Parks and Recreation, Washington State Parks and others are banking on.
Our programs will continue to partner with the Spokane Nordic Ski Association, said Ryan Griffith, the citys assistant recreation director.
That includes grooming of the citys three cross country skiing areas, Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, Riverside State Park and the Indian Canyon Golf course.
There will be some concessions to COVID-19, of course. In particular, the city wont transport people to Mount Spokane for cross country ski lessons, instead asking participants to meet them there.
And only the bathrooms in Mount Spokanes Selkirk Lodge will be open, with the rest of the building walled off.
It will be a challenge, Ray said. People will have to be old school and change in their cars.
Fitness Fanatics will still have a trailer at the lodge, but DuRuwe urges everyone to rent gear ahead of time online to minimize in-person contact.
I think just as weve seen on the trails and bikes over the summer, I think it will be a hot winter, Griffith said.
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Twenty-seven new COVID-19 deaths were reported in Saturdays update from the South Dakota Department of Health.
The death toll is now at 1,091. There have been 145 deaths reported in December. The new deaths were 13 women and 14 men in the following age ranges: 40-49 (1); 50-59 (1); 60-69 (3); 70-79 (7); and 80+ (15).
On Saturday, 906 new total coronavirus cases were announced, bringing the states total case count to 85,304, up from Friday (84,398). Total recovered cases are now at 68,011, up from Friday (67,409).
Active cases are at 16,202, up from Friday (15,925).
Current hospitalizations are now at 512, down from Friday (516). Total hospitalizations are at 4,793, up from Friday (4,748).
The DOH says 21.8-percent of all adult ICU beds are available. The state website says 110 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care.
There are now 253,065 persons tested negative, up from Friday (252,114).
On Saturday, 1,857 new persons tested were reported. The new persons tested positivity rate for Saturday is 48.7%.
The latest 7-day all test positivity rate, reported by the DOH, is 13.4%. The DOH calculates that based on the results of the PCR test results but doesnt release total numbers for how many PCR tests are done daily. The 1-day PCR test positivity rate for Saturday is 12.2%.
Only six of South Dakotas 66 counties are not listed as having substantial community spread.
BALTIMORE (WJZ) It has been one week since Thanksgiving weekend, and medical professionals say theyre concerned the holiday may have been a major community transmission event,noting COVID-19 numbers could continue to rise over the next few days and even weeks.
The concern [is] that Thanksgiving itself, the holiday itself, may have been a major transmission event across the country, Dr. Gregory Schrank, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said.
This comes after the state hit a record-breaking, largest single-day new case total on Friday.
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
Unfortunately what then often follows with the spike of cases is a further increase in hospitalizations, and unfortunately as well as deaths due to COVID-19, Dr. Schrank said.
The positivity rate is now over eight percent in Maryland.
Its quite possible that in the 10 days to two weeks following the holiday, that well start to see an increase in the number of new cases, Dr. Schrank said.
As the colder months approach, health officials are increasingly concerned about community transmission.
When it starts to infect young people, they could bring it back to their home, and then those folks they interact with, friends or family can also pick up the virus, Dr. Reginald Brown, Director of Emergency Medicine at Grace Medical Center, said.
If approved by the FDA, the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are expected to ship in mid-December, but Gov. Larry Hogan said it will not be enough to cover the 300,000 frontline healthcare workers in the state right away.
This is worse than it was in May and June, Dr. Brown said. In those months, we were planning for a surge, there was a spike, but I dont think it was nearly as significant as where we are right now.
With the holidays approaching at the end of the month, officials are urging people to limit the number of indoor gatherings and reconsider traveling.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to theMaryland Health Departments websiteor call 211. You can find all of WJZs coverage oncoronavirus in Maryland here.
In a statement issued by his family, the 33-year-old entertainer thanked the staff at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital for keeping him alive.
"First and foremost I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life," the statement, obtained by CNN Saturday, reads. "I will be forever grateful. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all their prayers and well wishes."
He said he also continues to thank the artists Chance The Rapper, 50 Cent and Diddy for "their love and support" and extends gratitude to his fans and people around the world who prayed for him.
"I'm getting stronger every day, and look forward to spending time with my sons," he said.
The singer/songwriter's first Top 10 hit was 2009's "Birthday Sex."
He's had more hits since and successful collaborations with other artists, including Ty Dolla Sign and YG.
CNN's Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.
It's also made for the wildest season yet of fantasy football, and this billion-dollar business and its legions of devotees have had to get creative to make it work.
It can feel like a frivolous pursuit at a time when the pandemic is claiming so many lives, but to enthusiasts fantasy football is a welcome distraction from the sobering realities of 2020.
For those who don't play, it works like this: You draft football players from across the NFL to play on your own virtual team. The better they play in real NFL games, the more points they score for your fantasy team in head-to-head matchups with other teams in your league.
This means that every fantasy football team "owner" needs to keep up with stats, schedules and injuries in order to do well.
During a normal season, that's a complex task. This season, it's an all-out scramble.
The NFL has postponed games, fantasy leagues have added new contingencies and fantasy managers have been forced to juggle lineups to replace players who've tested positive for Covid-19.
Coronavirus is throwing football season into chaos
Take the last few weeks of the NFL alone:
Experts say it's made fantasy football more challenging
With so many things muddling up the season right now, you'd think fantasy football fans would be throwing in the towel. But one expert thinks it's just created exciting new challenges.
"Nothing is simple in 2020, broadly speaking. This has been a year that has impossible to plan ahead for anything, and that piece has forced us to really live in the moment in so many ways." she says.
"But this has presented an opportunity to fantasy football enthusiasts and diehards to really challenge themselves. If they win this year, they can say to themselves, 'I've really done some mental and strategic gymnastics, and I've earned this.'"
Fantasy football is the kind of niche passion that can either inspire intense 45-minute conversations or make people's eyes glaze over at the first mention of a roster deadline. But anyone who's had to adjust plans on the fly or fight for little joys during this stressful year will recognize the struggles and triumphs of fantasy football devotees.
"This hobby, in a time where not much else is happening, is a brilliant distraction," Loza says. That's one of the reasons she thinks there's been a spike in interest in fantasy sports. "This fall and winter, you're probably going to be staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. a lot," she says, "and you might as well be doing it while thinking about your fantasy roster."
The fantasy football industry has been forced to adapt
Like the NFL, these sites have been scrambling to adjust.
On Yahoo's popular show "Fantasy Football Live," of which Loza is a part, cast members have had to get used to a new virtual set. Analysts have created new statistics to help fans create plans for their fantasy teams, and team owners have had to make contingency plans to keep their lineups from imploding when games are postponed or players are quarantined.
And, danger and disappointments aside, this unprecedented football season may be leading people to appreciate sports in a way they may not have before.
"The things that I love most about sports regardless of gender, age, race, creed, is we love the stories -- we love something we learned about the human condition," Loza says.
And as long as games keep being played and players stay safe, fantasy football team owners will be along for the ride -- no matter how bumpy it may get.
TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of December 5, 2020, therehave been 1,207,000 total confirmatorylaboratory results received for COVID-19, with 53,572totalcases and 829 deaths.
DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 67-year old male from TylerCounty, a 73-year old male from Cabell County, an 85-year old female fromPutnam County, a 62-year old female from Kanawha County, a 65-year old malefrom Mercer County, an 85-year old female from Kanawha County, a 79-year oldmale from Mercer County, a 69-year old female from Mineral County, a 68-yearold male from Berkeley County, an 84-year old male from Barbour County, a 54-yearold male from Fayette County, a 36-year old male from Mingo County, a 51-yearold male from Kanawha County, a 76-year old male from Mineral County, a 93-yearold female from Mineral County, a 73-year old female from Berkeley County, an 88-yearold female Putnam County, a 95-year old female from Kanawha County, a 74-yearold female from Fayette County, a 76-year old male from Fayette County,an84-year old male from Kanawha County, a 75-yearold male from Kanawha County, an 80-year old male from Ohio County, an 85-yearold female from Putnam County, a 61-year old male from Mineral County, an 84-yearold male from Mineral County, an 82-year old female from Preston County, an 83-yearold female from Preston County, a 47-year old male from Logan County, and a 63-yearold female from Logan County.
Each loss is a heartbreak to a family and toour state, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. I urge you toremember your actions for safety result in saving the lives of other WestVirginians.
CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (497), Berkeley (3,747),Boone (709), Braxton (140), Brooke (777), Cabell (3,276), Calhoun (88), Clay(149), Doddridge (136), Fayette (1,241), Gilmer (218), Grant (465), Greenbrier(625), Hampshire (422), Hancock (910), Hardy (377), Harrison (1,623), Jackson(766), Jefferson (1,536), Kanawha (6,107), Lewis (266), Lincoln (460), Logan(1,128), Marion (1,024), Marshall (1,468), Mason (598), McDowell (674), Mercer(1,465), Mineral (1,515), Mingo (1,032), Monongalia (3,561), Monroe (411),Morgan (334), Nicholas (404), Ohio (1,764), Pendleton (125), Pleasants (120),Pocahontas (266), Preston (793), Putnam (2,184), Raleigh (1,759), Randolph(779), Ritchie (200), Roane (211), Summers (294), Taylor (397), Tucker (176),Tyler (167), Upshur (561), Wayne (1,147), Webster (72), Wetzel (464), Wirt(131), Wood (2,973), Wyoming (840).
Please note that delaysmay be experienced with the reporting of information from the local healthdepartment to DHHR. As case surveillance continues at the local healthdepartment level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may notbe a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in questionmay have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Calhoun County in this report.
Please visit the dashboard located at www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more information.
Free COVID-19 testing daily events scheduled fortoday:
December 5, 2020
BerkeleyCounty
Doddridge County
10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Doddridge County Park, 1252 Snowbird Road, West Union,WV (in the barn)
Hampshire County
1:00 PM 6:00 PM, Hampshire County Fairgrounds, Fairground Drive, Augusta,WV (at the dining hall)
Jefferson County
9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Jefferson County Health Department, Front Parking Lot,1948 Wiltshire Road, Kearneysville, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
2:30 PM 6:30 PM, Shepherd University, Parking Lot beside Wellness Center,164 University Drive, Shepherdstown, WV (pre-registration: https://wv.getmycovidresult.com/)
Logan County
Marshall County
Mingo County
10:00 AM 4:00 PM, Hurley Drug Company, 210 Logan Street, Williamson, WV
Morgan County
11:00 AM 6:00 PM, Berkeley Baptist Church (Family Life Center), 172Winchester Grade Road, Berkeley Springs, WV
Nicholas County
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Richwood City Hall, 6 White Avenue, Richwood, WV
Ohio County
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, 355 Fire HouseLane, Valley Grove, WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Warwood Fire Station 9, 1301 Richland Avenue, Wheeling,WV
11:00 AM 4:00 PM, Wheeling Island Fire Station 5, 11 North Wabash Street,Wheeling, WV
WyomingCounty
11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV
December6, 2020
Hancock County
JacksonCounty
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Jackson County Health Department, 504 SouthChurch Street, Ripley, WV
Nicholas County
1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Richwood City Hall, 6 White Avenue, Richwood, WV
Additional free testing events will be held Monday, December 7 inBarbour, Berkeley, Cabell, Grant, Hancock, Harrison, Jefferson, Marshall,Mason, Mineral, Mingo, Nichola, Taylor, Wayne, Wirt, Wood, and Wyomingcounties.
There are many ways to obtain free testing in West Virginia. Pleasevisit https://dhhr.wv.gov/COVID-19/pages/testing.aspx for more testing options.
JANESVILLE
Ellen Ward was always with her daughter Diana.
Almost 60 years ago, Ellen gave birth to her eldest of two daughters when she was 15.
Ellen and Diana lived together in Janesville until one Monday in April when Diana looked sick. They went to the farmers market and fairs together. Vacations, too.
They attended Faith Community Church on Lucerne Drive. As a young child, Diana brought her mom and dad to Christianity, Ellen said last week.
She was like my sister probably, Ellen said.
But Diana died away from her family.
COVID-19 forced Diana onto a breathing machine at Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center in April, when Ellen last saw her being taken away in a wheelchair.
They said I had to go to the car or go home, Ellen remembered.
Later, a ventilator left Diana unable to tell her mom she loved her. She could only listen to the prayers coming from her mom and sister as nurses placed a phone by her ear.
She died May 4.
Diana, affectionately known as Dee, would have turned 60 on Aug. 2.
I was just devastated. She was gone, Ellen said through tears, just a week after her first Thanksgiving without Diana since she was a child.
Ellen Ward of Janesville shows a photo of her daughter Diana Ward holding her nephew. Diana died May 4 from complications of COVID-19.
Diana was caring, a word repeated by both Ellen and her other daughter, Brenda Mellom.
That trait showed in her work as an occupational therapy assistant on the front lines of the pandemic. She spent 21 years working at Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital, but more recently she worked at Amberwood Nursing Home in Rockford, Illinois.
Diana is one of nearly 100 Rock County residents confirmed to have died from COVID-19, according to county data shared Friday.
Ellen also tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Brenda, who lives about two hours away, worried that she would lose both her mom and her sister without being able to say goodbye in person.
But Ellen, who is 76, said she had only one day when her fever reached 100 degrees. Otherwise, she didn't get seriously sick.
Ellen said she is pissed. Shes angry, although shes not entirely sure at what. She just wants the pandemic to be over.
Im so upset that shes gone, she said, her voice breaking.
Ellen said she is not certain where Diana contracted COVID-19. She had previous health issues, including cancer, Brenda said.
Her loved ones were surer about what was important to Diana: family. She cared for her father when he got sick and ultimately died in 2012.
Sisters Diana Ward, left, and Brenda Mellom, right, with their mother, Ellen Ward.
Although she didnt have children of her own, she cared deeply for her three nephews, who Brenda said are now in their 20s.
One time when Brenda was doing lawn work, a neighbor said Diana watched Brenda's kids better than she did, Brenda said with a laugh.
They were her life, Brenda said.
Brenda fondly remembered growing up with her sister, who was four years older and graduated from Craig High School in 1978.
The games of Clue and Monopoly. Playing Red Rover with other kids on the block. The summers filled with trips to Six Flags and cruising Milton Avenue in a little yellow Chevette.
As much as she loved her family, Diana also worked incredibly hard, Ellen said.
Brenda said Diana could have taken a furlough, but she decided against it.
Her job was important to her, Brenda said. Her patients were important to her.
Even if that meant she would be late.
She never got home when was supposed to, her mother said. She was a very caring girl, and she went the extra mile with her patients.
Sisters Diana Ward, right, and Brenda Mellom.
A similar chorus of praise has been heard for other frontline health care workers over the last several months.
Heroes work here signs have been erected outside hospitals and nursing homes. But communities are losing many of those heroes.
The staff at Mercyhealth didnt brush off Diana's family. Her caregivers never said they didnt have time for a call in the morning and another at night.
Brenda said it was reassuring to know that when she couldnt be with her sistershe even asked if she could suit up for one final visitthat her sister was still surrounded by people who cared like she did.
The one nurse, Brenda remembered, She goes, Were not with our family. So, your families are our family.'
The U.K. has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption
The U.K. has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.
The United Kingdom gave emergency approval this week to a COVID-19 vaccine, and plans to begin rolling it out next week. Though Russia had previously approved a vaccine, the U.K. is the first country where regulators approved a vaccine that is backed by transparent science. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider granting its regulatory approval next week.
Pfizer and BioNTech, a German firm, which developed the vaccine, say it is 95% effective based on the latest clinical trial involving 43,000 subjects.
To learn more about the vaccine and what the U.K.'s fast approval of it means, NPR spoke with Dr. Richard Hatchett, the chief executive officer of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which develops vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What do you think of the news and how do you feel about it?
I'm pretty excited. I think the delivery of vaccines at this speed and with this degree of success is a tremendous testimonial to the power of science, and to the power of the scientific community, and industry and governments to come together to address a threat to the world. I hope it will inspire people and I hope it will give people hope.
By traditional standards of vaccine development, this is fast. Put that in perspective?
It's extraordinary. We're three hundred and twenty-three days, if I'm counting correctly, since the release of the viral sequences. We've gone from release of viral sequences to a brand new, previously unknown disease to the delivery of a product that now has this conditional licensure in the United Kingdom. That's never been done before. Previously, the fastest time from initiation of a vaccine development effort to an approved product was four years.
Does the speed of development of this vaccine and others give you any pause?
They have done the early stage trials, and then moved very rapidly into the later stage trials, but in a way that ensures that the later stage trials are large scale. They have sped up the development largely by, in parallel, making investments in manufacturing processes that ordinarily you might delay until you had data from your early stage clinical trials. They've taken the risks in the manufacturing process, but not taken risks with the clinical development. I think it's really important for people to understand that while the timelines have been compressed, they haven't cut corners with respect to proving safety or efficacy.
In the latest trial of this vaccine, 162 people injected with a placebo contracted the virus, while only eight injected with the vaccine contracted it. Are those good numbers?
Having a vaccine that shows 95% effectiveness, which is in the range of vaccines like the measles vaccine, is as good an outcome as we possibly could have expected.
What are the implications of the UK approving this vaccine before the U.S.? Does this put pressure on the U.S.?
Each national regulatory agency may come to different conclusionswhich is normalbecause each must make their own benefitrisk assessments. The FDA will meet on Dec 10 to discuss Emergency Use Authorization of the vaccine. It's important that each regulator follow its own processes, and make sound decisions that they can defend in the light of day.
How does the UK plan to roll out the vaccine?
The government has ordered enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people over time. The first priority group to receive the vaccine next week will be nursing home residents and their carers. Once this group has been vaccinated, subsequent groups will be prioritized by age and by underlying health conditions.
Unlike some other vaccines, this one has to be stored at -94 degree F. What are the implications of that?
Once you thaw it out and put it into a refrigerator, it has to be used essentially within five days or so, and that is going to be challenging in many environments. It may be possible to deliver that vaccine in the United States and the United Kingdom and other developed countries, but delivering a vaccine with those cold-chain requirements is going to present tremendous challenges in middle- and lower-income countries where it's desperately needed as well.
A YouGov poll Wednesday found one in five respondents weren't confident about the safety of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Do you think public compliance with vaccination will be a problem and, if so, what should the government do about it?
The increase in recent years of what is known as "vaccine hesitancy" is a major concern. Everybody in the scientific and public health communities has a role to play in building public trust and confidence in vaccines. That's why open and transparent communication about the rigorous clinical development processes that generate safety and efficacy data for these new vaccines is crucial. No corners are being cut.
Is there anything else that causes you concern here?
We still need to manufacture these vaccines at scale and we need to deliver them. That is a huge mountain to climb, and that will take time. You may have challenges on the manufacturing side that have nothing to do with the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. So, we do still have a long way to go before this pandemic is behind us. People are going to need to continue to protect themselves from disease, protect their loved ones from disease, and try to comply with public health recommendations.
