Moderna Advances its Mid stage Covid 19 Trial
Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) provided an update about its Phase II clinical trial of Covid 19 vaccine candidate. The company reported that it has completed the patient enrollment for both the cohort of the trial. Moderna has already completed the Phase III trial protocol based on the FDA feedback. For its randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III trial, the company will be recruiting nearly 30,000 patients across the US.
Earlier this month, Moderna had released early stage data for the vaccine candidate. The results demonstrated that mRNA-1273 produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers. The company also announced that the vaccine candidate was found to be generally safe. It is looking to initiate late stage trials in July. Moderna has completed manufacturing vaccine doses required for the Phase III trial.
Moderna had completed the enrollment for the first cohort of the trial last month. The group consisted of healthy young adults between the age of 18 years and 55 years. The second cohort comprises older adults aged 55 years and above. The safety results from the older adults cohort were reviewed by the trials Data and Safety Monitoring Committee, which recommended the Phase II enrollment to be continued.
The Phase II trial aims to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of two mRNA-1273 vaccinations administered 28 days apart. Moderna chief medical officer Tal Zaks said: We are committed to helping address this ongoing public health emergency and continue to focus on our Phase III study, which remains on track to start in July, less than seven months from the sequencing of the virus. The Phase II trial is a dose-confirmation, placebo-controlled study.
In Phase II trial, the participants will be administered placebo, a 50g or a 100g dose at both vaccinations. The company also elaborated that it has completed enrollment, or the cohorts of older adults aged 56-70 and elderly adults aged 71 and above in the US National Institutes of Health -led Phase I trial. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has formed a clinical trials network for streamlining the process of enrolling participants for COVID 19 vaccine trials.
The Phase III trial will be a randomized, placebo-controlled study with around 30,000 patients enrolled in it. These participants will be given 100g dose level of the vaccine candidate. The company anticipated to deliver nearly 500 million doses annually at 100g level. This count may up to one billion doses annually starting next year.
Moderna also recently reported inking a new agreement with Laboratorios Farmacuticos Rovi SA. The agreement pertains to vial filling and packaging capacity for the companys potential COVID-19 vaccine for serving the markets outside of the Unites States. The Spain based company will start and new production line and equipment for compounding, filling, automatic visual inspection and labeling.
As per the data provided by the company, Phase II trial is likely to be completed in August, 2021 while the estimated primary completion date is expected to be March, 2021. The primary date is the date the last participant in the clinical study was analyzed or was provided an intervention for collecting final data for the primary outcome measure.
Palatin Technologies Inc. (PTN) announced reinitiating the enrollment of its Phase 2 study with PL9643 for the treatment of dry eye disease. The company had suspended the enrollment for the trial on account of pandemic breakout to ensure safety of the patients. Palatin expects the enrollment to be completed in next 30 to 45 days.
The Phase 2 study is a multi-center, randomized double-masked, placebo-controlled trial. It aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PL9643 ophthalmic solution in comparison to placebo for treating the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Carl Spana, Ph.D., President and CEO of Palatin said, We are very happy to resume patient recruitment in this Phase 2 study of PL9643 exploring treatment of both the signs of eye damage and the physical symptoms experienced by patients with dry eye disease. The company expects the data readout to be available in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The study aims to enroll up to 150 participants across three sites in the United States. These patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two arms, PL9643 or placebo. The participants will then have to go through 12-weeks of treatment. The company had initially started the enrolment in February this year.
The two primary endpoints for the trial are inferior corneal fluorescein staining and ocular discomfort. The trial also has several secondary and exploratory outcome measures as well. Palatin is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing treatments based on molecules that regulate the melanocortin and natriuretic peptide receptor systems. The company aims to develop targeted, receptor-specific drug candidates for treating diseases with substantial unmet medical need and commercial potential.
Viveve Medical (VIVE) announced that the FDA has given its go ahead to the companys PURSUIT trial for evaluating Cryogen-cooled Monopolar Radiofrequency treatment for managing stress urinary incontinence in women. The trial will enroll 240 participants across 25 sites across the United States and is expected to be launched next quarter.
PURSUIT is a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled 12-month trial. The participants will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio for active and sham treatments. The members in the active treatment arm will be administered the CMRF treatment of 90J/cm2 RF and cryogen-cooling. Control arm participants will be given a clinically inert sham treatment consisting of 1J/cm2 RF and <2 degrees tissue cooling cryogen.
The primary efficacy endpoint for the trial is the 1-hour Pad Weight Test at 12 months post-treatment. Scott Durbin, Viveve's chief executive officer. "As we proceed with plans to initiate the PURSUIT Trial, we are equally focused on progressing our short-term, three-arm, SUI feasibility study that is targeted for readout in late summer of this year. The company plans to keep up the momentum for developing its CMRF technology.
The secondary endpoints for the trial include evaluation through the 3-day bladder voiding diary and Quality of Life and SUI benefits. These endpoints will be measured using various tools such as Urogenital Distress Inventory-6, Incontinence Quality of Life, and International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form. The participants will be monitored throughout the study for subject safety.
Viveve Medical, Inc. is a medical technology company and it focuses on developing treatments for various womens intimate health issues. It mainly uses its internationally patented Viveve System incorporates CMRF technology for developing its therapies. The System has been approved by the FDA for use in general surgical procedures.
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New Delhi: Microsoft founder Bill Gates said Saturday the Covid-19 medication and vaccines should go to the people who need it the most and not just to the highest bidder.
If we just let drugs and vaccines go to the highest bidder, instead of to the people and the places where they are most needed, well have a longer, more unjust deadlier pandemic, a CNBC report quoted Gates as saying at an online Covid-19 conference organised by the International AIDS Society.
We need leaders to make these hard decisions about distributing based on equity, not just on market-driven factors, he said.
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to claim thousands of lives across the globe every day, medical researchers across the world are working on a war-footing to come up with a vaccine for the deadly virus as early as possible.
However, with countries across the world, especially Europe and the US, investing billions of dollars to develop Covid vaccines, concerns have also arisen that richer nations may scoop up potential Covid treatment, leaving developing countries empty-handed, a Reuters report noted Saturday.
The report said the European Commission and the World Health Organization have cautioned against unhealthy competition in the race to develop Covid medication and save as many lives and prevent as much economic loss as possible.
The US now has the worlds highest confirmed cases of Covid-19 totalling 3,355,646, followed by Brazil (1,840,812), India (850,827) and Russia (720,547).
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Also read: CanSino, Moderna, Novavax: A list of Covid vaccines under clinical trials across the world
Speaking at the online event, Gates recalled how countries united to battle HIV/AIDS and made medication available across the world, including in Africa, in the past. He said this should serve as a model method to also make Covid-19 treatment available across the world.
One of the best lessons in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the importance of building this large, fair global distribution system to get the drugs out to everyone, he said.
Calling for global cooperation, Gates said the world would see remarkable impact when it has nations, institutions and advocates working together on this collective response.
The World Health Organization has said 21 vaccine candidates under clinical trials are currently being tested on human volunteers. Three of these vaccines are in the third phase of the trials.
According to the CNBC report quoted above, the companies that have made the most progress in developing vaccines are US firm Moderna, UK firm AstraZeneca, and Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech.
There is only one Indian company in WHOs list of21 candidate vaccines currently in clinical evaluation ZyCov-D by Ahmedabad-based Cadila Healthcare Limited (Zydus Cadila).
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also fast-tracked clinical trials of an indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, which it is producing with the Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL).
Nine of the 21 vaccines have the involvement of a Chinese research institute or company, while five of the vaccines have the involvement of an American firm. Among others are those being developed by firms from South Korea, Japan, Australia, Germany, and Russia.
Also read: Why the fight over a coronavirus vaccine will be intense, irrational and even nasty
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TheWest Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR)reports as of 10:00 a.m., on July 12, 2020, there have been 206,920 totalconfirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 4,207 total cases and 96 deaths.
In alignment with updated definitions fromthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the dashboard includes probablecases which are individuals that have symptoms and either serologic (antibody)or epidemiologic (e.g., a link to a confirmed case) evidence of disease, but noconfirmatory test.
CASESPER COUNTY (Case confirmed by lab test/Probable case):Barbour(19/0), Berkeley (514/19), Boone (34/0), Braxton (5/0), Brooke (25/1), Cabell(192/7), Calhoun (4/0), Clay (12/0), Fayette (79/0), Gilmer (13/0), Grant(19/1), Greenbrier (71/0), Hampshire (42/0), Hancock (39/3), Hardy (46/1),Harrison (120/0), Jackson (148/0), Jefferson (251/5), Kanawha (400/12), Lewis(22/1), Lincoln (9/0), Logan (40/0), Marion (106/3), Marshall (64/1), Mason(24/0), McDowell (9/0), Mercer (62/0), Mineral (65/2), Mingo (30/2), Monongalia(522/14), Monroe (14/1), Morgan (19/1), Nicholas (20/1), Ohio (143/0),Pendleton (15/1), Pleasants (4/1), Pocahontas (36/1), Preston (81/19), Putnam(86/1), Raleigh (75/3), Randolph (186/2), Ritchie (2/0), Roane (12/0), Summers(2/0), Taylor (23/1), Tucker (6/0), Tyler (10/0), Upshur (24/2), Wayne (123/1),Webster (1/0), Wetzel (34/0), Wirt (6/0), Wood (176/9), Wyoming (7/0).
As case surveillance continues at thelocal health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certaincounty may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individualin question may have crossed the state border to be tested.
Please visit thedashboard at www.coronavirus.wv.gov for more detailed information.
Kristin Urquiza, 39, grieves over the fact that her family could only allow about a dozen people at the burial of her father, Mark Anthony Urquiza, after his death from the coronavirus.
"It was so heartbreaking. My father deserved to have his entire community there to put him to rest," Urquiza told NBC News about the service on Wednesday in Phoenix. "We have a really large Latino family, and culturally, when there's a funeral or a wedding or a birth, we like to come together."
While her family reluctantly held a small ceremony, "I think that elected officials and the governors can make tough decisions to make sure that we keep as many Arizonans as safe as possible," she said.
Many families have publicly expressed their grief in the last few months over the deaths of their loved ones from the coronavirus, but the Urquiza family has touched a nerve for publicly stating their anger and blasting elected officials for what they see as inactions that have deadly consequences.
"I was gripped not only by grief, but by anger and rage, that his life didn't seem to matter to the people in charge," Urquiza said. "They have blood on their hands. People are dying."
In a gesture that has gone viral, the family wrote an obituary in the Arizona Republic, the state's largest newspaper, calling out "the carelessness of the politicians who continue to jeopardize the health of brown bodies through a clear lack of leadership, refusal to acknowledge the severity of the crisis, and inability and unwillingness to give clear and decisive direction on how to minimize risk."
She also held an "ofrenda," or altar, ceremony in memory of her dad in front of the state Capitol and invited the governor to her father's funeral. She said she hasn't heard back.
Her father, nicknamed "Black Jack" because he loved playing the card game as a kid, is one of over 2,150 people in Arizona who have died of COVID-19. Cases have skyrocketed since May, after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home orders, quickly reopened businesses and went on local news station KTAR "to encourage people to get out and about, to take a loved one to dinner, to go retail shopping."
"That made it really difficult for me, in talking to my dad and other people about what is actually safe," Urquiza said.
"In the case of my father, he thought it was safe because the governor of Arizona said it was safe to go out to a restaurant," she said. "I don't know exactly where he contracted the virus, but he contracted it within three weeks of the state opening. At the same time, Gov. Ducey was encouraging people to go back to normal life."
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Ducey resisted allowing cities to put their own measures in place to contain the virus, arguing that statewide directives avoid a patchwork of regulations. It wasn't until mid-June that he allowed Arizona mayors to make face masks mandatory.
In a letter addressed to Ducey on July 6, Urquiza said her father "contracted the virus during the period when you forbade local governments from implementing their own safety measures, such as mandating the wearing of masks."
In response to the family's criticism, Patrick Ptak, a spokesperson for Ducey's office, told NBC News via email that their "hearts go out to the family and loved ones of Mark Anthony Urquiza. We know nothing can fully alleviate the pain associated with his loss, and every loss from this virus is tragic."
Available ethnicity data shows that Latinos are being disproportionately hit by the virus in several states across the country. In Arizona, Latinos make up about a quarter 23 percent of the state's more than 120,000 coronavirus cases; they make up about a third of the state's population.
Mark was 65 and had no pre-existing conditions, Urquiza said. He became ill with a high fever and a cough on June 11. He was hospitalized and later transferred to the intensive care unit.
"Every time we tried to call him, I could barely hear his voice because of the machines in the room," Urquiza said. "I don't think the public quite realizes what this living nightmare is like. You can't see your loved one once they're hospitalized."
Mark was then put on a ventilator. He died on June 30.
"He ended up dying alone in an ICU room with a nurse holding his hand. My father did not deserve that, and nearly 2,000 Arizonans who have died from COVID-19 do not deserve that," Urquiza said.
On Thursday, Ducey started requiring "restaurants with indoor seating to operate at less than 50 percent capacity," weeks after encouraging people "to take a loved one to dinner." He also took action "to prohibit large gatherings, cease the issuance of new special event licenses and pause the operations of bars, gyms, movie theaters, waterparks and tubing rentals." There are no statewide mandates on wearing masks.
Diego Lozano, 28, said his grandfather was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 at a time when "he already requires a lot of medical attention. He's diabetic and needs dialysis, as well."
Lozano said his family doesn't know how their grandfather, who is 75, contracted the virus, but they believe he was exposed to it at church or by someone who works at the transportation company that picks him up for his dialysis.
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"Some of them would show up with no mask. While we were wearing masks, our leader was not mandating masks," he said about Ducey. "I feel like if there was a consistent mandate being enforced by our leaders, people would act more responsibly."
Lozano said all the places where his grandfather normally went to treat his pre-existing conditions were not equipped to deal with someone with COVID-19. They tried reaching out to hospitals for help, but most of them were at capacity and wouldn't take their grandfather in unless he was "experiencing the most severe symptoms of COVID-19."
"He was constantly being denied and denied, and it was very frustrating and stressful," Lozano said.
Over a week later, the family found a hospital willing to treat their grandfather. But "they're trying to discharge him already," Lozano said. "Our biggest worry is that we're not equipped to take care of our grandfather at the house while he has COVID and is experiencing all these other medical conditions."
Arizona has the highest rate of coronavirus-related hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It became the first state to trigger crisis care standards, giving hospitals more leeway on how to allocate resources and decide who gets treatment. About 90 percent of the states ICU beds are occupied, according to Arizona's Department of Health Services.
Mark Urquiza's death and the circumstances surrounding it compelled Kristin to start a social media campaign called "Marked by Covid" to amplify the stories of families that have gone through her same pain.
"I'm completely enraged by the lack of decisive clear direction, the downplaying of this virus by both the Ducey administration and the Trump administration," Urquiza said. "Their actions have put needless people's lives at risk."
"I'm compelled to speak up, not just to rectify my father's legacy," she added, "but to be able to draw attention to how core leadership and terrible policy is responsible for these surge in cases that we're seeing here in the United States."
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Before the pandemic, most healthcare investors had probably never heard of the vaccine biotech Vaxart (NASDAQ:VXRT). At the end of 2019, Vaxart's market cap was a minuscule $16.9 million, a far cry from the nearly $700 million it has reached today. Because of the pandemic, however, Vaxart's stock exploded overnight when its COVID-19 vaccine candidate showed early indications of effectiveness.
As perhaps the least developed company in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxart is a compelling opportunity for investors, and given its string of vaccine development successes so far, there's plenty of time to invest for growth.
Image source: Getty Images.
For a biotech company, Vaxart's research and development (R&D) expenditures are fairly low, costing the company only $1.5 million in the first quarter of this year. Given the company's nearly $30 million in cash on hand, its $2.13 million in debt, and its trailing-12-month cash outflows of $11.6 million, Vaxart has more than enough money to continue developing its pipeline projects for the time being.
Since Vaxart doesn't have any products approved for sale and its trailing 12-month revenues are only $7.4 million, it shouldn't surprise investors if the company issues new stock or enters into licensing agreements with larger companies to keep the lights on. This will probably remain true even if its COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows promise.
As with all of its vaccines, Vaxart's COVID-19 vaccine candidate is an oral tablet, rather than an injectable liquid like many other common vaccines. Vaxart claims that its oral tablets have a number of advantages over injectable liquids, including greater environmental friendliness, a smaller logistical footprint for clinics, and most importantly, superior efficacy for droplet- or aerosol-based infectious diseases like COVID-19.
However, it's important to note that Vaxart's claim regarding its vaccine's superior efficacy is based on internal studies of its influenza vaccine, as well as head-to-head comparisons with market-leading influenza vaccines, not on any specific studies of its vaccine candidate for COVID-19.
Including its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Vaxart has six prophylactic vaccines in development for infectious diseases, but none of the company's programs have advanced beyond phase 2 clinical trials so far. This means that the pace of COVID-19 vaccine development required to match the needs of the pandemic will likely be difficult for the relatively small and relatively new company to meet without help from collaborators.
Vaxart is moving aggressively to secure outside help for its clinical development capabilities, with the company signing multiple agreements with contract vaccine component manufacturers over the past few months in addition to its late June induction into Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the U.S. government's vaccine accelerator program.
Vaxart's collaboration with OWS entails dosing non-human primate (NHP) subjects with the company's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, then testing their immunity by exposing them to the virus in a controlled setting. This will be the second immunity study in animal models for the company's COVID-19 vaccine; the first study reported favorable results in April, likely sparking the government's interest.
If the vaccinated animals don't test positive for COVID-19 after their intentional exposure, it will be the strongest validation of any COVID-19 vaccine produced by any company or group to date, and the company's clinical trials in humans will almost certainly be fast-tracked even more aggressively than before.
Needless to say, investors should expect the company's stock price to skyrocket once again if the animal study delivers favorable results. Keep a close eye on the company's press releases in August for updates on the study's progression. If the animal study doesn't pan out, don't give up on Vaxart -- its oral vaccine platform makes it an appealing collaborator for other vaccine developers, and it has a handful of other vaccines in the pipeline for future growth.
Human trials are under way of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 being developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.
If it proves effective it could be the silver bullet that brings the pandemic to an end.
Dr Ellie Cannon is a family GP and well-known broadcaster and columnist. Here, she tells Sky News about the next stage of her volunteering as part of the Oxford Vaccine Trial.
It is a month since I was vaccinated and time to go back to the hospital for a check-up.
The trial is known as a blind trial. As a volunteer you do not know whether you are given the trial vaccine against the virus - known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination, or a control vaccination.
I would like to say I can tell which one I was given four weeks ago, but I really cannot. After my vaccination, I felt exactly the same as before with no side effects.
I was warned I may feel achy or have flu like symptoms the first weekend, but I did not and I have felt normal ever since.
Every week I have to take a swab at home to test if I have COVID-19. This is probably the worst part of the trial for me and not something I look forward to each week. The swab kits are the same as the NHS self-test kits you can order if you have symptoms.
Each Friday morning, I take the swab - which looks like an elongated cotton bud - and test my throat and nose. This involves rubbing the swab repeatedly over my tonsils, which is pretty nasty, before pushing it up my nose as far as it will go before pain.
I am keen to make sure I do these as best as I can, but it is certainly not nice, and it makes me wonder when people order a self-test, how many actually do them properly, as the experience is horrible. I suspect there are lots of inaccurate results as people find it so unpleasant.
Each week, 24 hours after I post my swab kit in the local priority post box, I get a text with my results, which have all been clear.
I have not been in contact with any patients or friends with COVID-19, and I am an avid mask-wearer, so this is not surprising.
The weekly swab test is certainly one of the advantages of joining the trial. The reassurance is very welcome as far as I am concerned.
Returning to the hospital after a month, I was reassessed to see how I had fared after the vaccination and how I have been generally.
I have had repeat blood tests today for antibody testing - but I will not get to find out the results. Knowing the results would clearly reveal which vaccination I have had, and the researchers do not want this to influence the behaviour or risks of the volunteers, as it could skew the results.
It is a bit strange to think I could have antibodies to COVID-19 right now, but I will not know that for at least a year. I had a thorough health check with a research nurse, and she was keen to know any symptoms I may have had since the vaccination.
She wanted to see the injection site in my arm, but there is nothing to see, which is good news. The nurse also talked me through the protocol again, and I had to consent to make sure I still agree to continue.
From today, I have to carry on my weekly swabs for at least another two months, with a bit of juggling if I do decide to go on holiday, as I cannot post them from abroad. I am in a routine now, and as unpleasant as it is, I like the reassurance of my Saturday text messages telling me I do not have COVID.
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As the cases drop in the UK and we ease lockdown tentatively, experts still believe a vaccination will be a vital part of reclaiming our normal lives.
Since I joined the Oxford trial, the Imperial vaccine trial has also started with volunteers signing up and being vaccinated.
The vaccination solution to the virus could very well come from the UK, and it is great to think I could have already had it.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 56,485, probable cases to 163, confirmed deaths to 950 and 11 probable deaths.
COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina health officials say they've recorded the two cases of a coronavirus related child illness in the state, the first time this complication has been seen in the state since the pandemic began. The news comes a day after the state recorded its first child death from COVID-19.
The state also recorded its second-highest total of coronavirus cases since the outbreak began in March and a record number of hospitalizations.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed Sunday cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). Two children are the first in the state with a confirmed diagnosis of MIS-C, a rare health condition recently recognized to occur in some children and teenagers who have contracted COVID-19 or been in contact with someone infected with the virus.
One child is from the Midlands region and one is from the PeeDee region. Both are under the age of 10. To protect the privacy of the children and their families, no other information will be disclosed at this time.
We continue to see more and more young people, especially those under 20, contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we know MIS-C is a threat to our youngest South Carolinians, said Dr. Linda Bell, State Epidemiologist. MIS-C is a serious health complication linked to COVID-19 and is all the more reason why we must stop the spread of this virus. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 as well as additional health risks associated with it, which is why all of us must stop the virus by wearing a mask and stay six feet away from others. These simple actions are how we protect ourselves and others, including our children.
The first reports of this syndrome came from the United Kingdom in late April. Cases in the United States were first reported in New York City in early May.
On May 15, 2020, DHEC sent a health alert informing healthcare providers and facilities of the condition and requesting that all providers report suspected cases of MIS-C to the agency. Symptoms of MIS-C include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, and feeling tired.
DHEC recommends parents and caregivers learn and watch for the signs for MIS-C in their children. Emergency warning signs of MIS-C include trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that does not go away, confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face, and severe abdominal pain. For more information about MIS-C, click here.
Latest Overall Numbers:
There were 1,952 new confirmed cases and no new probable cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 10 additional confirmed deaths and no new probable deaths. There are currently 1,472 hospital beds occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19, and 188 of those patients are on ventilators.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 56,485, probable cases to 163, confirmed deaths to 950 and 11 probable deaths.
Eight of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals from Anderson (1), Charleston (1), Chester (1), Clarendon (1), Greenville (2), Horry (1), and Lexington (1) counties, and two of the deaths occurred in middle-aged individuals from Lee (1) and Lexington (1), counties.
The number of new confirmed cases by county are listed below.
Abbeville (3), Aiken (62), Allendale (2), Anderson (19), Bamberg (13), Barnwell (3), Beaufort (66), Berkeley (93), Calhoun (8), Charleston (282), Cherokee (9), Chester (12), Chesterfield (11), Clarendon (6), Colleton (15), Darlington (16), Dillon (8), Dorchester (83), Edgefield (4), Fairfield (9), Florence (51), Georgetown (23), Greenville (216), Greenwood (32), Hampton (5), Horry (213), Jasper (7), Kershaw (13), Lancaster (23), Laurens (23), Lee (8), Lexington (109), Marion (17), Marlboro (5), McCormick (6), Newberry (26), Oconee (15), Orangeburg (36), Pickens (31), Richland (152), Saluda (9), Spartanburg (97), Sumter (51), Union (1), Williamsburg (6), York (53)
The graphic below shows the total number of daily cases since the virus began.
Testing in South CarolinaAs of Saturday, atotal of 538,022 tests have been conducted in the state. See a detailed breakdown of tests in South Carolina on the Data and Projections webpage.DHECs Public Health Laboratory is operating extended hours and is testing specimens seven days a week, and the Public Health Laboratorys current timeframe for providing results to health care providers is 24-48 hours.
Percent Positive Test Trends among Reported COVID-19 CasesThe total number of individual test results reported to DHEC Saturday statewide was 8,769 (not including antibody tests) and the percent positive of those tests was 22.3%.
More than 75 Mobile Testing Clinics Scheduled StatewideAs part of our ongoing efforts to increase testing in underserved and rural communities across the state, DHEC is working with community partners to set up mobile testing clinics that bring testing to these communities. Currently, there are 79 mobile testing events scheduled through August 1 with new testing events added regularly. Find a mobile testing clinic event near you at scdhec.gov/covid19mobileclinics.
Residents can also get tested at one of 180 permanent COVID-19 testing facilities across the state. Visit scdhec.gov/covid19testing for more information.
Hospital Bed OccupancyAs of Sunday morning, 2,890 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,721 are in use, which is a 72.76% statewide hospital bed utilization rate. Of the 7,721 inpatient beds currently used, 1,472 are occupied by patients who have either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.
This graphic below shows the daily hospital bed use related to COVID-19 in South Carolina.
For the latest information related to COVID-19 visit scdhec.gov/COVID-19. Visit scdmh.net for stress, anxiety and mental health resources from the S.C. Department of Mental Health.
*As new information is provided to the department, some changes in cases may occur. Cases are reported based on the persons county of residence, as it is provided to the department. DHECs COVID-19 map will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.
Anyone can be tested at the site for free, regardless of where they live.
This story will be continuously updated.
Federal support for COVID-19 testing sites in Dallas and Houston has been extended through the end of July, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sunday.
The Department of Health and Human Services had previously been providing support for these sites, but funding was set to expire. The governor previously secured an extension in June as well, according to a news release from the governor's office.
The Ellis Davis Field House testing location at 9191 South Polk St. in Dallas was set to run out of federal support by July 14, according to officials.
Anyone can be tested at Ellis Davis Field House for free, regardless of where they live. The federal site is currently open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"The extension of this program in Dallas and Houston will help secure more testing for Texans in these communities," Abbott said in the release. "There are over 900 testing sites across the state of Texas, and I urge Texans in need of a test to find a site nearest them."
To find such a testing site, Texans can visit covidtest.tdem.texas.gov.
The state has continued to see new daily cases and hospitalizations reach greater heights since the beginning of June, with exponential growth in both measurements.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients statewide surpassed 10,000 cases for the first time on Friday, at 10,002, according to state data. That number went up to 10,083 on Saturday.
At the same time, the number of new daily cases has continued to increase as well, reaching a new high of 10,351 new cases reported statewide Saturday.
At least 3,112 Texans who had COVID-19 have died since tracking began in March,state data shows. More than 250,000 have now been infected with the disease.
Top updates for Sunday, July 12:
Tarrant County reports 404 new cases
County officials said another 404 people have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus Sunday. Four more people died in the county as well, though officials have not yet released any details on those who died.
There are currently around 694 people hospitalized with the disease in the county, more than triple the number of patients a month ago on June 12, which was around 209, according to county data.
A total of 272 people have died since tracking began in March, with 18,161 testing positive. So far, around 8,186 people have recovered.
Rockwall police chief asks for prayers after officer catches coronavirus
A Rockwall police officer is struggling with COVID-19, Rockwall Police Chief Max Geron tweeted Sunday. He asked supporters for their prayers and well-wishes, and that people wear a mask when in public.
Health experts recommend taking the following actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
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A gorilla at a zoo in Florida has been tested for COVID-19 after he was taken to an animal hospital to receive treatment following a fight with his younger brother.
Zoo Miami says 31-year-old Shango - who weighs 433lbs - and Barney, 26, got into a fight on Wednesday, resulting in bite wounds.
They were both born at San Francisco Zoo and arrived at Zoo Miami in 2017, where they have lived together ever since.
It says conflicts between adult male gorillas in bachelor groups are not uncommon, but that most consist of posturing and rarely result in serious injury.
The zoo says Shango received X-rays, vaccinations, an ultrasound, a TB test and a bronchoscopy as part of its overall preventative medicine program.
It says the lowland gorilla's bite wounds were "quite deep", but "fortunately did not appear to result in any permanent damage".
Because he was presenting with a low grade fever, and as a precaution during the coronavirus pandemic, he was also tested for COVID-19, but it came back negative.
Shango has since been returned to the gorilla area where he will be closely monitored as he continues to heal.
The zoo says no decision has been made yet about whether he will be reintroduced to brother Barney, as that will depend on "behavioral assessments made by the staff combined with the healing progress of his injuries".
