Month: October 2020

Researchers say viral transmission risk is low, even when candies are handled by infected persons, but handwashing and disinfecting collected sweets reduces risk even further. Like a specter, the question looms: How risky is trick-or-treating with SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the air — and possibly on the candy? In a study published on October 29, 2020 in the journal mSystems, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and San Diego State University analyzed the viral load on Halloween candy handled by patients with COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets and aerosols. The risk of infection by touching fomites — objects or surfaces upon which viral particles have landed and persist — is relatively low, ac...

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — 12 more South Dakotans have died from COVID-19, according to the latest update from the state department of health. The death toll climbed to 415. The new deaths were four men and eight women. That makes 192 deaths in October, the deadliest month of the pandemic so far. Active cases are now at 13,520, up from Thursday (12,462) and a new single-day record. On Friday, 1,559 new coronavirus cases were announced, bringing the state’s total case count to 44,559, up from Thursday (43,000). There were 1,389 new PCR cases and 171 new antigen cases for 1,559 new total cases. Total recovered cases are now at 30,624, up from Thursday (30,135). Total persons tested negative is now at 212,097, up from Thursday (210,514). Current hospitalizations...

While health care workers’ heightened risk of coronavirus has dominated the conversation, a new study found grocery store workers also have alarming rates of infection. Researchers from Harvard University found that 20% of 104 grocery workers tested positive at a store in Massachusetts, and most of them had no symptoms when tested. This infection rate was “significantly higher than the surrounding communities,” study authors wrote. A new study found grocery store workers have alarming rates of infection. (iStock) SINGLE-DAY CORONAVIRUS CASES IN US HIT RECORD HIGH Findings were published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Also, those who directly interacted with customers were five times more likely to test positive. “We did the study because a lot of emph...

Health officials are investing a multistate outbreak of E. coli infections that’s sickened at least 23 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not advising that people avoid any particular food at this time because they have not discovered the item that is making people sick. The illnesses have been reported in California, Washington state, Utah, North Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Kansas and North Dakota have reported the most cases, with at least four individuals becoming ill in each state. BEARDED DRAGONS LINKED TO SALMONELLA OUTBREAK ACROSS 8 STATES The CDC said authorities have interviewed 13 people thus far, and they all reported eating various types of leafy greens such as iceberg lettuce, roma...

For the first time, Maine has recorded more than 100 new daily cases of COVID-19, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.The Maine CDC is reporting 103 new cases on Friday, bringing the total since the beginning of the outbreak to 6,570.This is the second day in a row that Maine has set a new record for daily cases.The number of Mainers with COVID-19 who have died remains at 146. There have been no new deaths reported in 13 days.There were 33 additional recoveries, bringing the total to 5,495.In the past six days, there have been 432 new cases reported.Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said, as of Thursday, the positivity has increased from 0.42% two weeks ago to 0.8%. Maine’s positivity rate is still well below the national average of 6.3%.Shah stressed tha...