Antibody tests show coronavirus rates 10x higher; oral lesions may be new COVID-19 symptom
Testing for the new coronavirus vastly under-counted the true number of COVID-19 infections in the U.S. from March to May, according to a new federal study relying on antibody testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study shows that COVID-19 rates were more than 10 times higher than what was reported.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has accused two Chinese hackers of targeting the computer networks of companies known to be developing a potential coronavirus vaccine and treatment. Prosecutors say the hackers allegedly stole information for themselves as well as information they knew would be of interest and value to the Chinese government.
Some recent developments:
· Florida reported a record number of new hospitalizations due to the new coronavirus Tuesday as the state's daily new case count reached its 28th consecutive day with at least 5,000 positive cases.
· Trump met with top Congressional Republicans at the White House on Monday to discuss the next COVID-19 aid package, which GOP leaders said could include another round of stimulus checks and a payroll tax cut.
· Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic are the latest retailers to require customers to wear a face mask in stores nationwide.
The U.S. has more than 3.8 million cases and more than 141,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Globally, there have been 14.7 million cases and more than 611,000 deaths.
Fauci: 'Im assuming I'm not going to be' at White House briefing
Ahead of the White House coronavirus briefing Tuesday evening, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN that he had not yet been invited, with less than an hour to go before the start of the briefing.
Fauci added that the last time he spoke with Trump was toward the end of last week, when they had a "good, long conversation."
"I was not invited up to this point," Fauci said. "I'm assuming that I'm not going to be there cause it's going to be in just a short while and I'm still here at the (National Institutes of Health)."
In response to Trump's calling Fauci "a little bit of an alarmist" during a weekend interview with FOX News, Fauci responded by saying he always thought of himself "as a realist when it comes to this."
CDC: Antibody tests show virus rates 10x higher
Federal data suggest that the true rates of infection of the new coronavirus were more than 10 times higher than number of cases reported across the country from late March to early May.
The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores how underrepresented the actual number of COVID-19 cases in the United States are. Researchers relied on antibody tests on routine blood samples from 16,000 people in 10 U.S. regions, and found that infections were actually six to 24 times the number of reported cases.
In ten of the seven sites, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, New York City metro area, Utah, and western Washington state, infections were estimated to be great than 10 times the number of reported cases.
Many of the infections detected in the study were likely people with COVID-19 who had no or mild symptoms and never got a test for the virus. The study was published Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Oral lesions may be new COVID-19 symptom, study suggests
A small study based on preliminary data from Spain suggests that a rash inside the mouth could be another symptom of COVID-19.
The research, published last week in JAMA Dermatology, found that of 21 COVID-19 patients with skin rashes, six patients also had skin rashes and enanthems, or a rash or lesion inside the body.
The study is small and more data is needed before drawing widespread conclusions, said Dr. Esther Freeman, a member of the American Academy of Dermatology's COVID-19 task force, but it does provide an "interesting hint" on a potential tie between COVID-19 and oral lesions.
Freeman said it's possible that the presence of oral lesions in COVID-19 patients may be underreported as patients' mouths are not always systematically examined with the primarily respiratory virus. More research on the timing of when the potential symptom appears in relation to infection would also be helpful to aid public health officials and patients, she added.
N95 masks with valve can protect you but may not protect others
A certain type of N95 mask can protect the mask wearer but not necessarily people around them, health officials say.
N95 masks with vents or valves are commonly used in construction, but they filter only the air coming in, not the air going out.
In May, the San Francisco Department of Public Health shared side-by-side images of medical and construction N95 masks and urged residents not to use the kind with valves.
"Respirators with exhalation valves should not be used in situations where a sterile field must be maintained (e.g., during an invasive procedure in an operating or procedure room) because the exhalation valve allows unfiltered exhaled air to escape into the sterile field," the CDC says on its website.
Florida governor sued by teachers over school reopening plan
Florida reached its sixth straight day of 10,000-plus new coronavirus cases Monday as the states largest teachers union sued the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration over plans to reopen schools for in-person instruction next month.
In its lawsuit filed in Miami state circuit court, the Florida Education Association said the school reopening order violates the Florida Constitution, which requires that a uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality system of public schools exist.
FEA President Fedrick Ingram cited Mondays case numbers and deaths as the backdrop, for the unions action. No one wants to be back in a classroom and reopen our school buildings more than educators, Ingram said. We are teachers ... thats what we live for ... but we want to do it safely and we dont want to put people at risk.
The state added 10,347 new COVID-19 cases overnight, bringing Floridas total cases to 360,394. Another 90 deaths occurred, with 5,072 Florida people now lost to the disease in the state.
Coronavirus found at Yosemite National Park's raw sewage
With no confirmed case of the coronavirus, Yosemite National Park appeared to be a safe haven from the pandemic. But tests of the parks raw sewage have confirmed the presence of the virus, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday, and dozens of people are believed to have been infected.
No park employee or resident has tested positive at the parks health clinic, and no visitors have reported being sick since Yosemite began a phased reopening on June 11 after being closed for nearly three months.
Working with the National Park Service, Mariposa County health officials began taking samples of untreated wastewater and sent it to a lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for analysis. The lab, Biobot Analytics, told the county this week that based on how much of the virus they counted, its possible about 170 people were infected in Yosemite Valley.
21 test positive after high school graduation, prom in Missouri
At least 19 students and two guests at a private Missouri high school have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a graduation or prom earlier this month.
St. Dominic High School in O'Fallon, Missouri, canceled all school events through Aug. 9 after the outbreak at the July 8 outdoor graduation and the July 10 offsite prom. The school said those who have tested positive began experiencing symptoms after the events, and students who attended either event were contacted following the first confirmed positive case.
The announcement of the outbreak came the same day the Archdiocese of St. Louis unveiled a reopening plan that calls for students who attend the more than 100 Catholic schools in the St. Louis area to return to the classroom starting next month.
More than 300,000 immigrants may not become citizens in time to vote as COVID-19 stalls process
More than 300,000 immigrants are at risk of not becoming citizens in time to cast ballots after the federal agency in charge of processing naturalization applications suspended in-person interviews and oath ceremonies this spring amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Alex Beric, a 44-year-old immigrant from England, applied for naturalization in May 2019. "It would be fairly disappointing," said Beric, who came to the U.S. in 2004.
U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes immigration benefits, notified Beric in early March that his naturalization interview, which is done in-person, had been scheduled for April 21. Shortly after, Beric said he received another notification that his naturalization interview would be rescheduled due to the pandemic. More than three months later, Beric is still waiting.
Marriott will require guests to wear masks in lobbies, other public spaces
Marriott hotels will require guests to wear masks in lobbies and other public spaces starting July 27.
The Bethesda, Maryland-based hotel giant, which has more than 7,300 hotels, has been requiring employees to wear masks for several months. But in a video message released Monday, CEO Arne Sorenson said the mandate is being extended to guests.
Marriott is the largest hotel chain to issue a mask requirement. Hyatt Hotels already require guests to wear masks in public areas in U.S. and Canadian hotels, though that will expand to indoors, too, beginning next week.
Jacksonville Mayor: City needs more resources to keep RNC safe
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said he agreed with an assessment by Sheriff Mike Williams that law-enforcement couldnt keep the Republican National Convention safe, even as Curry continues to plan the event coming to Jacksonville next month.
Curry wouldnt offer any specifics about what would be necessary to make the event safe. Currys news conference, however, didnt mesh with the actual words of Sheriff Williams who said Monday that we are simply past the point of no return. Instead, Curry, who said he agreed with the sheriff, treated the event as needing tinkering, not cancellation.
Connecticut discovers 'flaw' in coronavirus testing system with 90 false positive test results
Connecticut discovered a "flaw" in a manufacturer's coronavirus testing system resulting in 90 false COVID-19 positive test results, the state's Department of Public Health announced Monday.
Officials said the 90 false results were from the one-month period from June 15 to July 17 where 144 people were tested. Many of them are nursing home residents, officials said.
The manufacturer system is run by Thermo Fisher Scientific, which labs across the country use. The "flaw" is being investigated and has been reported to the manufacturer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a news release.
EU leaders reach historic coronavirus recovery deal
Leaders of European nations reached an unprecedented budget deal that would provide a massive aid package for countries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
An agreement on the $2.1 trillion budget, which includes a more than $850 billion coronavirus fund to be sent as loans and grants to the hardest-hit countries, was reached early Tuesday after four days and nights of negotiations.
The E.U. is facing the biggest recession in its history, and the bloc has seen 135,000 deaths from COVID-19.
DOJ: Chinese hackers targeted COVID-19 vaccine research
The Justice Department accused two Chinese hackers on Tuesday of targeting firms developing a coronavirus vaccine.
The hackers allegedly looked into the computer network vulnerabilities of companies known to be researching potential vaccines and treatment.
Officials are expected to discuss the indictment later Tuesday. The two hackers are facing charges of trade secret theft and wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors say they stole information not only for themselves but also that they knew would be of interest and value to the Chinese government. (Source: USA Today)