TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., November 1, 2020, there have been 785,622 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 24,883total cases and 457 deaths.
CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (187), Berkeley (1,692),Boone (408), Braxton (73), Brooke (249), Cabell (1,548), Calhoun (36), Clay(65), Doddridge (72), Fayette (796), Gilmer (65), Grant (199), Greenbrier(217), Hampshire (144), Hancock (242), Hardy (108), Harrison (682), Jackson(411), Jefferson (626), Kanawha (3,828), Lewis (110), Lincoln (263), Logan(801), Marion (419), Marshall (420), Mason (182), McDowell (131), Mercer (803),Mineral (244), Mingo (654), Monongalia (2,363), Monroe (266), Morgan (157),Nicholas (191), Ohio (638), Pendleton (79), Pleasants (34), Pocahontas (73),Preston (225), Putnam (981), Raleigh (866), Randolph (429), Ritchie (53), Roane(116), Summers (140), Taylor (172), Tucker (67), Tyler (55), Upshur (277),Wayne (626), Webster (36), Wetzel (229), Wirt (56), Wood (720), Wyoming (359).
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 isavailable today in Berkeley, Hampshire, Jackson, Jefferson,Marshall, Mingo, Monroe, Morgan, Putnam, Upshur, and Wyoming counties.
BerkeleyCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 8:00 PM, Musselman High School, 126 ExcellenceWay, Inwood, WV
HampshireCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 6:00 PM, Hampshire County High School, 157Trojan Way, Romney, WV
JacksonCounty, November 1, 1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Jackson County Health Department, 504Church Street South, Ripley, WV
JeffersonCounty, November 1, 3:00 PM 8:00 PM, Ranson Civic Center, 432 W. 2nd Avenue,Ranson, WV
MarshallCounty, November 1, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Marshall County Health Department, 5136th Street, Moundsville, WV
Mingo County,November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Williamson Health and Wellness Center, 173 East2nd Avenue, Williamson, WV (under the tent)
MonroeCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Monroe Health Center, 2869 Seneca TrailSouth, Peterstown, WV
MorganCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 8:00 PM, Warm Springs Middle School, 271 WarmSprings Way, Berkeley Springs, WV
PutnamCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Valley Park, 1 Valley Drive, Hurricane,WV
UpshurCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Buckhannon Upshur High School, 270 BUDrive, Buckhannon, WV
Wyoming County,November 1, 11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV
Testing is available toeveryone, including asymptomatic individuals.
Additional testing will beheld Monday, November 2 in Cabell, Doddridge, Fayette, Harrison, Lincoln,Mingo, Monroe, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
CabellCounty, November 2, 9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Cabell County Health Department, 703Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (flu shots offered)
DoddridgeCounty, November 2, 2:00 PM 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional Health Center, WestUnion Location, 190 Marie Street, West Union, WV
FayetteCounty, November 2, 11:00 AM 3:00 PM, J.W. and Hazel Ruby WV Welcome Center,55 Hazel Ruby Lane, Mt. Hope, WV
HarrisonCounty, November 2, 9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Harrison County Health Department, 330West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV (by appointment; call 304-623-9308)
LincolnCounty, November 2, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (Walk-in testing)
Mingo County,November 2, 9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Williamson Health & Wellness, 173 East 2ndAvenue, Williamson, WV (under the tent) AND 4:00 PM 7:00 PM, Delorme BibleChurch, 1876 Route 49, Edgarton, WV
MonroeCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Monroe County Health Department, 200Health Center Drive, Union, WV
RitchieCounty, November 2, 2:00 PM 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional Health Center, 135South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV
Roane County,November 2, 9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Roane County Family Health Care, 146 Williams Drive,Spencer, WV (flu shots offered)
TaylorCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 2:00 PM, First Baptist Church of Grafton, 2034Webster Pike (US Rt. 119 South), Grafton, WV
Wayne County,November 2, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 KenovaAvenue, Wayne, WV, Pre-registration: wv.getmycovidresult.com
WyomingCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV
TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., November 1, 2020, there have been 785,622 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 24,883total cases and 457 deaths.
CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (187), Berkeley (1,692),Boone (408), Braxton (73), Brooke (249), Cabell (1,548), Calhoun (36), Clay(65), Doddridge (72), Fayette (796), Gilmer (65), Grant (199), Greenbrier(217), Hampshire (144), Hancock (242), Hardy (108), Harrison (682), Jackson(411), Jefferson (626), Kanawha (3,828), Lewis (110), Lincoln (263), Logan(801), Marion (419), Marshall (420), Mason (182), McDowell (131), Mercer (803),Mineral (244), Mingo (654), Monongalia (2,363), Monroe (266), Morgan (157),Nicholas (191), Ohio (638), Pendleton (79), Pleasants (34), Pocahontas (73),Preston (225), Putnam (981), Raleigh (866), Randolph (429), Ritchie (53), Roane(116), Summers (140), Taylor (172), Tucker (67), Tyler (55), Upshur (277),Wayne (626), Webster (36), Wetzel (229), Wirt (56), Wood (720), Wyoming (359).
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 isavailable today in Berkeley, Hampshire, Jackson, Jefferson,Marshall, Mingo, Monroe, Morgan, Putnam, Upshur, and Wyoming counties.
BerkeleyCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 8:00 PM, Musselman High School, 126 ExcellenceWay, Inwood, WV
HampshireCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 6:00 PM, Hampshire County High School, 157Trojan Way, Romney, WV
JacksonCounty, November 1, 1:00 PM 5:00 PM, Jackson County Health Department, 504Church Street South, Ripley, WV
JeffersonCounty, November 1, 3:00 PM 8:00 PM, Ranson Civic Center, 432 W. 2nd Avenue,Ranson, WV
MarshallCounty, November 1, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Marshall County Health Department, 5136th Street, Moundsville, WV
Mingo County,November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Williamson Health and Wellness Center, 173 East2nd Avenue, Williamson, WV (under the tent)
MonroeCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Monroe Health Center, 2869 Seneca TrailSouth, Peterstown, WV
MorganCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 8:00 PM, Warm Springs Middle School, 271 WarmSprings Way, Berkeley Springs, WV
PutnamCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Valley Park, 1 Valley Drive, Hurricane,WV
UpshurCounty, November 1, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Buckhannon Upshur High School, 270 BUDrive, Buckhannon, WV
Wyoming County,November 1, 11:00 AM 3:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV
Testing is available toeveryone, including asymptomatic individuals.
Additional testing will beheld Monday, November 2 in Cabell, Doddridge, Fayette, Harrison, Lincoln,Mingo, Monroe, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
CabellCounty, November 2, 9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Cabell County Health Department, 703Seventh Avenue, Huntington, WV (flu shots offered)
DoddridgeCounty, November 2, 2:00 PM 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional Health Center, WestUnion Location, 190 Marie Street, West Union, WV
FayetteCounty, November 2, 11:00 AM 3:00 PM, J.W. and Hazel Ruby WV Welcome Center,55 Hazel Ruby Lane, Mt. Hope, WV
HarrisonCounty, November 2, 9:00 AM 12:00 PM, Harrison County Health Department, 330West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV (by appointment; call 304-623-9308)
LincolnCounty, November 2, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Lincoln County Health Department, 8008Court Avenue, Hamlin, WV (Walk-in testing)
Mingo County,November 2, 9:00 AM 2:00 PM, Williamson Health & Wellness, 173 East 2ndAvenue, Williamson, WV (under the tent) AND 4:00 PM 7:00 PM, Delorme BibleChurch, 1876 Route 49, Edgarton, WV
MonroeCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Monroe County Health Department, 200Health Center Drive, Union, WV
RitchieCounty, November 2, 2:00 PM 4:00 PM, Ritchie Regional Health Center, 135South Penn Avenue, Harrisville, WV
Roane County,November 2, 9:00 AM 1:00 PM, Roane County Family Health Care, 146 Williams Drive,Spencer, WV (flu shots offered)
TaylorCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 2:00 PM, First Baptist Church of Grafton, 2034Webster Pike (US Rt. 119 South), Grafton, WV
Wayne County,November 2, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM, Wayne County Health Department, 217 KenovaAvenue, Wayne, WV, Pre-registration: wv.getmycovidresult.com
WyomingCounty, November 2, 12:00 PM 4:00 PM, Old Board of Education, 19 Park Street,Pineville, WV
RICHMOND Both major presidential candidates hope to convince voters they have plans in place to protect the health of Americans and the economy as COVID-19 cases rise nationally.
As of Oct. 28, there have been almost 8.8 million total coronavirus cases in the United States and 176,754 in Virginia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the past week, the country has reached a record high level of daily new cases, according to The New York Times.
Candidates addressed their plans to address the COVID-19 crisis during the final presidential debate held earlier this month. President Donald Trump criticized former Vice President Joe Biden for wanting to shut down the country and said that a vaccine will come soon.
Im going to shut down the virus, not the country, Biden responded, adding that there need to be standards, or response protocols, in place for when rates increase in a community.
Below are more details on Trump and Bidens plans for handling the pandemic.
Trumps Plan
Samantha Zager, Trumps deputy national press secretary, said that the presidents administration will continue to respond to the virus as they have been.
When reelected, the President will continue his work on developing a vaccine to achieve his vision of a return to normal life and a roaring, post-COVID economy where all Virginians can achieve their version of the American Dream, Zager wrote in an email.
Zager also criticized Bidens proposed response to the virus.
Joe Biden has actively demeaned a coronavirus vaccine for political purposes, and he would surrender to the virus, hurting Virginias small businesses and families with another draconian shutdown of our economy, Zager said.
Under Trump, Congress passed an over $2 trillion dollar coronavirus stimulus packagethe CARES Actthat gave money to every eligible adult in the country, as well as small businesses and healthcare facilities. Legislators recently failed to advance another stimulus package.
Trump has stated that the U.S. is the world leader in testing, having performed 100 million COVID-19 tests. The U.S. however, does not have the highest number of tests per capita, which some health experts say is a more useful metric, according to PolitiFact, a fact checking project run by the nonprofit Poynter Institute.
Trump said the U.S. has led the largest mobilization since World War II to combat the coronavirus and that no American who needed a ventilator has gone without one. Additionally, his administration has launched Operation Warp Speed to fast-track vaccine production. In July, Trump hoped to have 300 million doses of vaccines available by early 2021. The administration announced agreements just weeks before the election with CVS and Walgreens to provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents of long-term care facilities with no out-of-pocket costs.
Trump has also stated that the U.S. will withdraw from the World Health Organization to hold the organization accountable for mismanagement of the coronavirus.
Bidens Plan
Bidens campaign did not answer direct questions but referred to the candidates website which outlines ways that Biden plans to fight the virus. If elected, his administration would spend whatever it takes, without delay, to meet public health needs and deal with the mounting economic consequences.
He has accused Trump of having no comprehensive plan to curtail the pandemic that has killed over 225,000 Americans. Biden also said he backs the accelerated development of a vaccine, something that has also been a priority for Trumps administration.
Biden promotes swift and aggressive action from the federal government to protect families, small businesses, first responders and caregivers. Biden said helping individuals and small businesses is essential. Corporations shouldnt be bailed out.
Biden states that if elected he will make COVID-19 tests widely available and free by establishing at least 10 mobile testing sites per state and expanding programs which offer tests to people who may not know how to ask for a test, such as nursing home residents. He also plans to amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to make sure individuals arent charged for COVID-19 tests, treatment or vaccines.
Biden has also called on every state governor, as well as local authorities like mayors, to pass a mask mandate.
The Biden administration plans to provide up to 12 weeks of paid sick leave for U.S. workers. Biden promotes the passage of an emergency paid leave program that would require 14 days of paid leave for individuals who get sick from the virus or have to quarantine.
Bidens plan also includes helping vulnerable nations treat coronavirus outbreaks.
What should the next president do?
Dr. Bill Petri, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, said that the next president needs to focus on finding a vaccine for the disease and producing those vaccines within the U.S.
First, the federal government needs to support fundamental research on immunization and vaccines, Petri said. We should be leading the world in providing COVID-19 vaccines, we dont want China or Russia doing that.
Petri also said that the federal government should be more involved in coordinating the COVID-19 responses of individual states, which have differed depending on individual governors.
What one state does affects us all, Petri said.
Many Democratic state governors have criticized the federal government for providing a slow-paced COVID-19 response. Some state governors have coordinated their COVID-19 responses with other states. The governors of Virginia and Maryland, as well as the mayor of Washington D.C, have attempted regional cooperation in battling the pandemic.
Petri said that the next president should continue to support the CDC as well as individual state departments of health, including the Virginia Department of Health.
In a recent Pew Research poll, 57% of registered voters surveyed said they are very or somewhat confident in Bidens ability to handle the impact of the coronavirus, while 40 percent say they are very or somewhat confident in Trumps ability to do so.
RICHMOND Both major presidential candidates hope to convince voters they have plans in place to protect the health of Americans and the economy as COVID-19 cases rise nationally.
As of Oct. 28, there have been almost 8.8 million total coronavirus cases in the United States and 176,754 in Virginia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the past week, the country has reached a record high level of daily new cases, according to The New York Times.
Candidates addressed their plans to address the COVID-19 crisis during the final presidential debate held earlier this month. President Donald Trump criticized former Vice President Joe Biden for wanting to shut down the country and said that a vaccine will come soon.
Im going to shut down the virus, not the country, Biden responded, adding that there need to be standards, or response protocols, in place for when rates increase in a community.
Below are more details on Trump and Bidens plans for handling the pandemic.
Trumps Plan
Samantha Zager, Trumps deputy national press secretary, said that the presidents administration will continue to respond to the virus as they have been.
When reelected, the President will continue his work on developing a vaccine to achieve his vision of a return to normal life and a roaring, post-COVID economy where all Virginians can achieve their version of the American Dream, Zager wrote in an email.
Zager also criticized Bidens proposed response to the virus.
Joe Biden has actively demeaned a coronavirus vaccine for political purposes, and he would surrender to the virus, hurting Virginias small businesses and families with another draconian shutdown of our economy, Zager said.
Under Trump, Congress passed an over $2 trillion dollar coronavirus stimulus packagethe CARES Actthat gave money to every eligible adult in the country, as well as small businesses and healthcare facilities. Legislators recently failed to advance another stimulus package.
Trump has stated that the U.S. is the world leader in testing, having performed 100 million COVID-19 tests. The U.S. however, does not have the highest number of tests per capita, which some health experts say is a more useful metric, according to PolitiFact, a fact checking project run by the nonprofit Poynter Institute.
Trump said the U.S. has led the largest mobilization since World War II to combat the coronavirus and that no American who needed a ventilator has gone without one. Additionally, his administration has launched Operation Warp Speed to fast-track vaccine production. In July, Trump hoped to have 300 million doses of vaccines available by early 2021. The administration announced agreements just weeks before the election with CVS and Walgreens to provide COVID-19 vaccines to residents of long-term care facilities with no out-of-pocket costs.
Trump has also stated that the U.S. will withdraw from the World Health Organization to hold the organization accountable for mismanagement of the coronavirus.
Bidens Plan
Bidens campaign did not answer direct questions but referred to the candidates website which outlines ways that Biden plans to fight the virus. If elected, his administration would spend whatever it takes, without delay, to meet public health needs and deal with the mounting economic consequences.
He has accused Trump of having no comprehensive plan to curtail the pandemic that has killed over 225,000 Americans. Biden also said he backs the accelerated development of a vaccine, something that has also been a priority for Trumps administration.
Biden promotes swift and aggressive action from the federal government to protect families, small businesses, first responders and caregivers. Biden said helping individuals and small businesses is essential. Corporations shouldnt be bailed out.
Biden states that if elected he will make COVID-19 tests widely available and free by establishing at least 10 mobile testing sites per state and expanding programs which offer tests to people who may not know how to ask for a test, such as nursing home residents. He also plans to amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to make sure individuals arent charged for COVID-19 tests, treatment or vaccines.
Biden has also called on every state governor, as well as local authorities like mayors, to pass a mask mandate.
The Biden administration plans to provide up to 12 weeks of paid sick leave for U.S. workers. Biden promotes the passage of an emergency paid leave program that would require 14 days of paid leave for individuals who get sick from the virus or have to quarantine.
Bidens plan also includes helping vulnerable nations treat coronavirus outbreaks.
What should the next president do?
Dr. Bill Petri, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, said that the next president needs to focus on finding a vaccine for the disease and producing those vaccines within the U.S.
First, the federal government needs to support fundamental research on immunization and vaccines, Petri said. We should be leading the world in providing COVID-19 vaccines, we dont want China or Russia doing that.
Petri also said that the federal government should be more involved in coordinating the COVID-19 responses of individual states, which have differed depending on individual governors.
What one state does affects us all, Petri said.
Many Democratic state governors have criticized the federal government for providing a slow-paced COVID-19 response. Some state governors have coordinated their COVID-19 responses with other states. The governors of Virginia and Maryland, as well as the mayor of Washington D.C, have attempted regional cooperation in battling the pandemic.
Petri said that the next president should continue to support the CDC as well as individual state departments of health, including the Virginia Department of Health.
In a recent Pew Research poll, 57% of registered voters surveyed said they are very or somewhat confident in Bidens ability to handle the impact of the coronavirus, while 40 percent say they are very or somewhat confident in Trumps ability to do so.
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Illinois at an unprecedented rate, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday announced new restrictions for North-Central Illinois.
Pritzker will be imposing a ban on indoor service at bars and restaurants, among other restrictions, this week for Region 2 which covers 20 North-Central counties, including Rock Island, Kendall and Knox counties after the area saw an average positivity rate above the 8% positivity threshold for three consecutive days.
That means, starting Wednesday, all 11 of the states regions will be operating under the governors COVID-19 restrictions.
Pritzker, who hinted last week the peak of this outbreak is still nowhere in sight, said the mitigation measures are being put in place to help limit the spread of the virus.
As cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising across our state, across the Midwest and across the nation, we have to act responsibly and collectively to protect the people we love, Pritzker said in a statement.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike echoed Pritzker, adding the new restrictions are not meant to be a punishment for Illinoisans but rather a way to help all of us co-exist with COVID-19 more safely.
This comes as state health officials announced 6,980 new cases and an additional 35 coronavirus-related deaths, making Sunday the fifth consecutive day Illinois daily caseload has topped 6,000 a number that far exceeds anything seen in the states previous COVID-19 peak in May.
The new infections, which account for nearly 8.9% of the 78,458 tests that have been processed statewide in the last day, raised the seven-day average positivity rate from 7.5% Saturday to 8% Sunday up from 3.5% at the start of last month.
The rise in that number is worrisome to health experts who use that figure as a way to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading.
More than 119,600 people tested positive for the virus in Illinois over the last 30 days, accounting for more than a quarter of the 417,280 cases that have been recorded over the last eight months. And the state has broken the daily caseload record five out of the last 12 days, including Saturday when state health officials announced 7,899 new cases.
Meanwhile, 15 of Sundays 35 fatalities were reported in Cook County, bringing the states death toll to 9,792.
Illinois hospitals are treating the most coronavirus patients theyve seen since the end of May. As of Saturday night, 3,294 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19, with 692 of those patients in intensive care units and 284 on ventilators, officials said.
Illinois boasts a recovery rate of 97% as most people who contract it show mild or no symptoms.
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Illinois at an unprecedented rate, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday announced new restrictions for North-Central Illinois.
Pritzker will be imposing a ban on indoor service at bars and restaurants, among other restrictions, this week for Region 2 which covers 20 North-Central counties, including Rock Island, Kendall and Knox counties after the area saw an average positivity rate above the 8% positivity threshold for three consecutive days.
That means, starting Wednesday, all 11 of the states regions will be operating under the governors COVID-19 restrictions.
Pritzker, who hinted last week the peak of this outbreak is still nowhere in sight, said the mitigation measures are being put in place to help limit the spread of the virus.
As cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising across our state, across the Midwest and across the nation, we have to act responsibly and collectively to protect the people we love, Pritzker said in a statement.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike echoed Pritzker, adding the new restrictions are not meant to be a punishment for Illinoisans but rather a way to help all of us co-exist with COVID-19 more safely.
This comes as state health officials announced 6,980 new cases and an additional 35 coronavirus-related deaths, making Sunday the fifth consecutive day Illinois daily caseload has topped 6,000 a number that far exceeds anything seen in the states previous COVID-19 peak in May.
The new infections, which account for nearly 8.9% of the 78,458 tests that have been processed statewide in the last day, raised the seven-day average positivity rate from 7.5% Saturday to 8% Sunday up from 3.5% at the start of last month.
The rise in that number is worrisome to health experts who use that figure as a way to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading.
More than 119,600 people tested positive for the virus in Illinois over the last 30 days, accounting for more than a quarter of the 417,280 cases that have been recorded over the last eight months. And the state has broken the daily caseload record five out of the last 12 days, including Saturday when state health officials announced 7,899 new cases.
Meanwhile, 15 of Sundays 35 fatalities were reported in Cook County, bringing the states death toll to 9,792.
Illinois hospitals are treating the most coronavirus patients theyve seen since the end of May. As of Saturday night, 3,294 people were hospitalized in Illinois with COVID-19, with 692 of those patients in intensive care units and 284 on ventilators, officials said.
Illinois boasts a recovery rate of 97% as most people who contract it show mild or no symptoms.
The dreaded fall and winter COVID-19 wave has arrived and with a vengeance. Much of the nation is experiencing a viral load of infections unlike those previously seen since the start of the pandemic.
Any one metric by itself doesn't fully relay the significance of the threat, but coupling it with multiple metrics, like the number of daily new cases, percent positivity rate, infection rate, hospitalization rate and deaths, provide a more complete burden of the illness.
There are 50 epidemics playing out in the United States, each state with its own trajectory and prognosis. Only two states, Maine and Vermont, are trending in the right direction, having control on their epidemic, the remaining 48 states are all trending in the wrong direction.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, these are five measures that must be taken to prevent further amplification of cases, illnesses, hospitalizations and death.
The verdict is in, masks work. In a study published in Health Affairs, mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia led to a slower daily COVID-19 growth rate that was seen over time.
Currently across the nation, 49% of Americans wear a mask in public, with only some states mandating wearing a face covering. If we increase this to 95%, we could save 129,000 lives, the study said.
A "masks required" sign is seen at Belmont University near the entrance of the 2020 U.S. presidential election debate hall on Oct. 21, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn.
Communication can make or break any medical response. Countries, like those in Asia, that have been able to curtail the spread of COVID-19 have showcased effective risk communication with the general public -- that is -- telling the public in layman's terms the good, the bad, the ugly and what we don't know yet.
Even more important is saying it with one voice, not mixed messages that erodes trust. During a time when many Americans are experiencing pandemic fatigue, are confused about the evolving science of COVID-19 and want to resume pre-pandemic activities, providing coherent, consistent and reliable guidance has never been more important.
Reliable guidance includes communicating what constitutes low-risk activities (outdoor events) versus high-risk activities (indoors, confined space and poor ventilation), as well as reminding people to stay home when sick, and continue physical distancing and hand-washing.
Early in this pandemic, the nation was blinded by the number of COVID-19 cases that were brewing in our communities. Fast forward 10 months, and we've learned a lot about this disease and the various indicators that can help track and trace where the virus is spreading.
A health care worker beckons incoming cars at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site inside the Alliant Energy Center complex, as the outbreak continues in Madison, Wis., Oct. 31, 2020.
Each jurisdiction should have surveillance systems in place that track levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation and associated illness before they reach alarming levels.
Consistent data should be collected on outpatient and emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses and COVID-like illnesses, in addition to the number of new daily cases, tests performed, percent positivity rate, hospitalizations and deaths, among other indicators.
Data that's collected through surveillance systems can help inform local decisions and actions to prevent cases from becoming clusters, clusters from becoming outbreaks and outbreaks from becoming epidemics.
Through a hyper-local response model, pre-set benchmarks and associated actions can be established that prioritize curbing activities that pose the highest risk of transmission in order to contain a local outbreak. This includes looking at outdoors or curbside pickup versus indoor dining, limiting gatherings and closing high-risk nonessential businesses.
The mantra has always been "test, isolate, trace and quarantine."
In order to find cases, there must be an adequate testing infrastructure. States should aim for at least 150 new tests per 100,000 population with associated test positivity rate being below 5%.
In this July 8, 2020, file photo, Eric Antosh has a nasal swab taken by a nurse at a COVID-19 testing site in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
There must also be an adequate contact tracing workforce to track and trace additional cases and contacts. The aim should be at least 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people in each state and the ability to scale up if the epidemic expands.
Dr. Syra Madad is a pathogen preparedness expert and infectious disease epidemiologist. She is the senior director of the system-wide special pathogens program at NYC Health + Hospitals.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that when a COVID-19 vaccine in approved it will be free whether you have insurance or not.
With several COVID-19 vaccines under development around the world, many Americans have wondered how much it'll cost to get the immunization once one is approved.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services answered that question this week.
THE QUESTION
Will Americans have to pay a lot for a COVID-19 vaccine, once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves one?
THE ANSWER
No, it will be free, CMS announced on Wednesday.
WHAT WE FOUND
On Wednesday, CMS said in a news release that Americans wont have to pay out of pocket for a coronavirus vaccine that gains full FDA approval or Emergency Use Authorization. That includes Medicare and Medicaid recipients, people with private insurance -- even those who havent met their deductibles for the year -- and those with no insurance at all.
As a condition of receiving free COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, providers will be prohibited from charging consumers for administration of the vaccine, the release said.
In a document released Thursday, the World Health Organization showed several vaccines are in Phase 3 development, being given to thousands of people to test their effectiveness and safety.
Four vaccine candidates are currently in large scale Phase 3 trials in the U.S. Pfizer executives said they should have data in early November that shows whether its vaccine effectively prevents coronavirus infections.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has previously emphasized that any vaccine approved this year would be in "very limited supply" at first. It wouldn't be available to most until summer or fall of 2021.
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that when a COVID-19 vaccine in approved it will be free whether you have insurance or not.
With several COVID-19 vaccines under development around the world, many Americans have wondered how much it'll cost to get the immunization once one is approved.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services answered that question this week.
THE QUESTION
Will Americans have to pay a lot for a COVID-19 vaccine, once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves one?
THE ANSWER
No, it will be free, CMS announced on Wednesday.
WHAT WE FOUND
On Wednesday, CMS said in a news release that Americans wont have to pay out of pocket for a coronavirus vaccine that gains full FDA approval or Emergency Use Authorization. That includes Medicare and Medicaid recipients, people with private insurance -- even those who havent met their deductibles for the year -- and those with no insurance at all.
As a condition of receiving free COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, providers will be prohibited from charging consumers for administration of the vaccine, the release said.
In a document released Thursday, the World Health Organization showed several vaccines are in Phase 3 development, being given to thousands of people to test their effectiveness and safety.
Four vaccine candidates are currently in large scale Phase 3 trials in the U.S. Pfizer executives said they should have data in early November that shows whether its vaccine effectively prevents coronavirus infections.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has previously emphasized that any vaccine approved this year would be in "very limited supply" at first. It wouldn't be available to most until summer or fall of 2021.
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Fauci, a leading member of the governments coronavirus response, said the United States needed to make an abrupt change in public health practices and behaviors. He said the country could surpass 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day and predicted rising deaths in the coming weeks. He spoke as the nation set a new daily record Friday with more than 98,000 cases. As hospitalizations increase, deaths are also ticking up, with more than 1,000 reported Wednesday and Thursday, bringing the total to more than 229,000 since the start of the pandemic, according to health data analyzed by The Washington Post.
