Category: From Sparkhealthmd.com – General

The number of coronavirus cases in the US has already hit 7.6 million, which is the highest number in the world and makes 20% of the total cases worldwide, however the population of the US is only 4% of the global population. The initial spike was observed in the US in late March, but social distancing and other safety measures brought the number of cases down and stabilized the country by May. Now as the lockdown measures are eased, the coronavirus cases in the US are piling up again.

More than 56000 new coronavirus cases in the US were reported on Thursday according to data from Johns Hopkins, and the country is now averaging nearly 45000 cases of the virus daily. This is the highest daily number of cases the country has seen since August and twice of the number of daily cases in June, and the number of deaths from the virus in the country has already crossed 213,000.

Also Read: Coronavirus in the US could kill 400,000 people by the year-end, warns Dr. Fauci

The experts believe that the number of coronavirus cases in the US is very high ahead of the winter season which could be more challenging and deadly. According to the latest prediction by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the deaths from Covid19 in the US could reach around 233,000 by the end of October. The prediction made by the CDC was done by combining data using dozens of different models. They say on their website that there is an indication of an uncertain trend in the new coronavirus deaths in the country over the next month and they predict that around 2800 to 6800 more people could die from the virus in the country by the end of October. Previously they predicted that by the end of this week the deaths by the virus would reach 207000 to 218000.

Florida, California, and Arizona which were the hotspots of the virus in the summer season are now stabilized but the cases are surging in the other states including Wisconsin and North and South Dakota. Only Hawaii and Alabama are reporting a decline in cases. Moreover, the number of infections has surged in the whole country steadily for a consecutive of three weeks. However, the number of cases still haven’t reached the peak of July and August, when the country was averaging around 63000 cases a day. The number of people being hospitalized is also increasing as for the first time the number of hospitalizations has risen in the country since July with more than 33000 patients hospitalized.

As the winter season is nearing people with move their gatherings indoors, where the coronavirus is more likely to spread. Moreover, in flu season experts are worried that there could be a ‘twin-demic’. However, health experts believe that by adhering to safety measures of social distancing and wearing masks, and by getting the flu shots people can protect themselves.

So, why are the coronavirus cases in the US surging? The returning of students in schools could be one of the contributing factors. Almost 100,000 new infections were reported in the period when the students began returning to schools, and in that period the number of cases in a week in people aged between 18 and 22 rose by nearly 55% in the country. More than 130,000 new cases of the virus have been found at around 1300 colleges in America since the reopening.

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The researchers from Malaysia have discovered two new strains of “Leptospira” a bacterial genus and some members of this genus could cause leptospirosis infection. One of these newly identified strains is highly capable of causing leptospirosis in humans.

Typically, humans get leptospirosis from wild animals such as rats, cats, pigs, etc. sometimes it is asymptomatic but other times it causes fever, organ failure, and sometimes meningitis as well. This disease is highly prevalent in tropical countries as well as subtropical areas.

There are nearly 64 strains in Leptosspira which are isolated and identified from the human, animal, and environmental sources. Among all these isolates, L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and L. wolffii in Malaysia are responsible for causing the majority of infections.

This new study has identified a novel strain named “L.interrogans” which is capable of causing infection in humans.

Vasantha Kumari Neela from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia is the lead researcher and first author of this study.

Read more- Karmanos Cancer Institute Begins Clinical Trials of a Drug Treating COVID-19

She shared that initially her team only intended to study how the patients experience severe symptoms and what causes it. Their aim was to identify the biomarkers for leptospirosis disease in humans. However, they studied the efficacy of the currently available diagnostic tests and emphasized on the need for new diagnostic tools. The research results prove that the currently available methods are not 100% accurate to diagnose the infection. Also, the symptoms of leptospirosis are much likely to get mixed with the symptoms of other diseases i.e. dengue. It suggests researchers develop new diagnostic tools to identify and treat leptospirosis in humans.

This study is published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Neela says that most of these cases of leptospirosis infection in humans are co-linked with their interaction with forests, camping, floods, or exposure to rodents.  She also told that currently there is no vaccination of leptospirosis available in Malaysia. However, the prophylaxis is available for highly susceptible groups that include the military.

This new study has highlighted the potential sources for getting leptospirosis infection and also explained who is at high risk of getting it in Malaysia. It has also put forward the need for a new diagnostic tool, and symptoms evaluation as per the newly identified strain so that maximum people are saved from leptospirosis infection.

Neela said; this new research raises a question for everyone that rodents, that are originally thought of causing leptospirosis are not the only host to transmit this bacteria infection.

Read more- Breakthrough Research on Alzheimer’s Reveal New Information on Disease Progression

Kamruddin Ahmed from the Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics and director of the Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre also shared his views on this new study. He said that identifying and treating leptospirosis is a huge problem in Malaysia and he thinks there are many other countries as well who share this common problem.

Ahmed believes that there should be more focused studies on understanding leptospirosis and also shared that; “There is no user-friendly, reliable, and economic diagnostics for the disease. Furthermore, clinical diagnosis is disappointing as the signs and symptoms of leptospirosis vary considerably with the result that many cases go unnoticed and mortality becomes high.”

This new study is highly significant because it confirms that  L. interrogans and L. kirschneri are the main culprits behind leptospirosis infections in the Central Malaysian region but there exists a regional difference in these strains as well.

Ahmed says that there should be more detailed research studies to understand the epidemiology of Leptospira infection in humans. Only with these focused studies, the researchers would be able to set better diagnostic tools and develop a vaccine against it.

 

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Director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House task force for Coronavirus Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted that 300,000 to 400,000 people could die from coronavirus in the US. He offered this grim prediction while speaking to students of American University at a virtual event. He said that if the citizens of the US don’t do what is required of them in the fall and winter seasons then the US death toll by coronavirus may exceed 300,000 to 400,000.

Dr. Fauci further said that the recent infections that happened at the White House could have been avoided. Some senior politicians of the Republican party and several close people to United States President Donald Trump have contracted the coronavirus days after the president announced that he and his wife have tested positive for the virus.

Also Read: CDC Updated Guidelines Admit That Coronavirus Can Transmit Through Air

President Donald Trump spent three nights at a military hospital for the treatment of the virus and returned on Monday to the White House. While leaving the hospital he was wearing a mask but removed it later to pose for pictures on the balcony of the White House and did not wear it back when he entered the White House. Trump covers his face with a face mask or face shield very rarely and very little social distancing is observed at the rallies for his campaign or events at the White House.

Dr. Fauci used what happened at the White House as an example when asked about any advice to people who wanted to discuss preventive measures with their friends/relatives who believed that the virus is not real. He said that the virus is a reality and not a hoax as more and more people are becoming the victims of coronavirus in the US. Dr. Fauci believes that the situation is unfortunate as it could have been avoided.

According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model, if the mask-wearing is implemented by the US universally then the death toll could be kept at a figure of not more than 278,526 Americans. Currently, around 216,000 people have died of coronavirus in the US, according to the data from Johns Hopkins University. However, if the safety restrictions are not imposed there could be as many as 435,000 people died by the end of the year.

Dr. Fauci believes that the likely hood of the vaccine being available before next summer or fall is very low. This prediction is in line with the prediction made by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield, who said that it would take approximately 6 months to 9 months for the whole public to be vaccinated once the vaccine is available.

The scientific head of Operation Warp Speed Moncef Mohamed Slaoui wrote that around 300 million doses of the vaccine could be made available to the public by the mid of next year. However, Dr. Fauci believes that normal life in the world may not resume before the end of next year because of the challenges associated with the distribution of vaccines.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its coronavirus guidelines which now acknowledges what the public health experts were saying for months that the virus is capable of spreading via airborne particles. According to CDC updated guidelines the airborne particles can stay in the air for hours and can also infect people who are at a distance of more than 6ft.

The CDC updated guidelines say that airborne transmission is very rare but is still possible. However, the agency admitted that the more common way in which the virus can spread is through large respiratory droplets, which is released when an infected person sneezes, talks, coughs, breaths, or sings.

Also Read: Neurological Symptoms of Coronavirus Occur in 80% of Hospitalized Patients, a Study finds

Aerosols containing the virus can stay airborne for seconds to hours, they can also travel for a distance of more than 2 meters in spaces that are poorly ventilated and this leads to the super spread of the virus. The scientists believe that the focus of people must be towards protecting themselves from the airborne spread as the infected individuals release a large quantity of virus-containing aerosols while breathing and talking.

The CDC didn’t change their safety recommendations after a thorough review, and concluded that people can be safe from the virus by wearing a mask covering their mouth and nose, cleaning surfaces, staying not less than 6 feet from other people, washing hands, and staying at home when feeling ill.

The CDC updated guidelines come a month after the agency posted revised guidelines admitting that the virus has the capability to spread through small droplets that can stay in the air called aerosols. The agency quickly removed the guidelines from their website claiming it was posted mistakenly and was only a draft version. At that time the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there was no evidence suggesting that the virus was spreading through airborne particles, although the WHO agreed that the transmission through airborne particles was possible in some conditions.

Scientists have been debating for months about the degree to which the virus can transmit through aerosol or airborne particles. Some epidemiologists believe that the WHO and other regulatory agencies have not been fast enough to admit that the virus is capable of transmitting via air. This debate can have some implications for the use of air filtration in the reopening of businesses and schools.

Saskia Popescu, a biodefense expert, and an epidemiologist said that the CDC updated guidelines are quite good. She believes that the guidance by CDC does a good job as it emphasizes that the coronavirus is capable of spreading only by air in some environments such as poorly ventilated and crowded indoor spaces. Popescu further added that it is known that the events of this nature are occurring but are not the key driver. Moreover, she said that it is a good reminder that in some environments the risk of airborne transmission is higher and people need to know that.

The researchers said that the general public, in order to protect themselves from the airborne transmission,  should not take extra precautions required only by healthcare personnel such as wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) or wearing medical-grade masks. They also believe that a clear distinction should be made by the public health officials between aerosols capable of carrying the virus for long distances or droplets that are released by sneezing or coughing.

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A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, led by Philip Calder has published new study findings that following a healthy diet and taking dietary supplements daily can save people from COVID-19.

A diet that has a mixture of natural vegetables and fruits, as well as seeds, pulses, meat, and dairy, contain all necessary vitamins and minerals requires for a healthy body and a functional immune system. However, it might not be possible for a person to eat all these ingredients. They can use dietary supplements alternately. Also, there are some nutrients that can not be obtained from food sources including certain minerals, vitamins, and even omega-three fatty acids. Luckily these nutrients are available in dietary supplement form which can be used along with healthy food.

Also read- Coronavirus Patients are Suffering from Kidney Damage- Shocking Report

The current coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of people to lose their life which is the second time after the seasonal influenza epidemics that a respiratory infection is killing people.

One thing that medical experts have observed that coronavirus is most dangerous for people with low immunity. So, a healthy immune system naturally protects the body from a viral attack, and this immunity is based on daily nutrition obtained from food sources.

While the new vaccination programs would save people from getting coronavirus, there is something that could reduce the risk of catching it. most of the times people ignore the significance and role of diet in pathogenic attacks and immunity. Considering there is no vaccine developed to this day, the only way to save yourself from coronavirus pandemic is to follow the precautionary measures including the dietary changes. That is why public health authorities are calling out and suggesting people to follow the healthy diet plan.

Philip Calder teaches Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton. He said; “The strength of somebody’s immune systems will not influence whether they get coronavirus; handwashing and social distancing are the best ways to avoid that. However, the immune system helps the body deal with the virus if they are infected and what we want is a system that functions properly when it’s challenged with bacteria and viruses.”

Also read- Scientists Discover a Novel Leptospira Strain That Might Cause Leptospirosis in Humans  

Calder recommends eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and not canned and frozen food items. Natural food has a high amount of nutrients and fiber which supports healthy metabolism and immunity. It re-creates the microbial balance inside the body and prepares the body to protect itself from any pathogenic attack.

The study also recommends eating fish which is a natural source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for the body to function and it also improves the immune response of the body. Lastly, the research team also recommends eating meat which has a high amount of vitamin B12 and iron in it.

In case any person doesn’t consume these essential food groups, he can take dietary supplements loaded with these nutrients. Another popular choice in dietary supplements, in addition to these standard supplements, is “probiotics”. The probiotic supplement ensures a healthy and functional gut with a perfect balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

Calder further explains that this current coronavirus pandemic has given us a message that relying on vaccination alone is not sufficient and we might need more than these vaccines. It is essential to improve the natural immunity whether or not coronavirus pandemic ends. By improving what are we fueling to our body, we can reduce the chance of getting infected with a number of pathogenic microbes including the viruses i. e coronavirus. Therefore all public health offices should encourage people to take care of their diet and add essential nutrients either way.

**Note- The study report is published on the Preprints website and waiting for a peer review.

 

 

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While respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonia, etc. are well-known symptoms of the covid 19, a new study published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology has found that 4 out of 5 of hospitalized patients face some kind of neurological manifestation. The researchers carried out the study in 509 patients hospitalized in a hospital network in Chicago and found out that 419 of those patients showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus at some point in the course of their time at the hospital.

The authors wrote in their study that the most frequently occurring neurological symptoms of coronavirus were headaches (experienced by 37.7% patients), dizziness (experienced by 30% of patients), anosmia (experienced by 11.4% of patients), myalgias, encephalopathy (experienced by 32% of patients), and dysgeusia (impaired sense of taste) (experienced by 16% of patients). Some of the uncommon symptoms were motor, and sensory deficits, seizures, movement disorders, strokes, and ataxia. The average stay in the hospital for these patients was also three times longer than usual and the risk of death was seven times higher.

Also Read: Entire Europe is Facing Coronavirus Pandemic Fatigue, WHO Reports

The study incorporated data from coronavirus patients admitted across an academic medical center and nine hospitals within Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine Healthcare system between the months of March and April. Moreover, around 26% of those patients needed mechanical ventilation. The researchers found that around 42% of the patients, before going to the hospital, had some sort of neurological manifestations when the symptoms first started to emerge. Then when they needed to be admitted to the hospital, nearly 63% of them showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus, according to the data.

Researchers also discovered that younger patients tended to be more vulnerable to the neurological symptoms of coronavirus, however, encephalopathy was more recurring in older people. The researchers believe that the cause of these neurological symptoms being discovered in young people might be because doctors focused more on younger patients as the younger patients are less likely to suffer a respiratory failure or the fact that it is more likely that young people seek medical care for the symptoms.

Even after these patients left the hospital, many of their symptoms remained. Only around 32% of them were able to complete simple tasks like paying bills or cooking, according to the chief of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of the study Dr. Igor Koralnik.

The study did not specify how the coronavirus can cause encephalopathy, however, Dr. Koralnik believes that encephalopathy is sometimes brought on by other diseases including those that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation, particularly in older patients. Moreover, a majority of the health experts believe that the covid19 doesn’t attack the brain cells directly but these neurological symptoms are a byproduct of inflammation and immune system responses.

This isn’t the first study of its kind, as a study in April of 214 coronavirus patients discovered that more than one-third of the patients experienced some sort of neurological complications. The virus is capable of causing neurological complications like brain inflammation, nerve damage, delirium, and stroke.

 

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While respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonia, etc. are well-known symptoms of the covid 19, a new study published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology has found that 4 out of 5 of hospitalized patients experience some kind of neurological manifestation. The researchers carried out the study in 509 patients admitted to a Chicago hospital network and found out that 419 of these patients showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus at some point during their time at the hospital.

The authors wrote in their study that the most frequently occurring neurological symptoms of coronavirus were headaches (experienced by 37.7% patients), dizziness (experienced by 30% of patients), anosmia (loss of smell) (experienced by 11.4% of patients), myalgias, encephalopathy (experienced by 32% of patients), and dysgeusia (impaired sense of taste) (experienced by 16% of patients). Some of the uncommon symptoms were movement disorders, motor, and sensory deficits, seizures, strokes, and ataxia. The average stay in the hospital for these patients was also three times longer than usual and the risk of death was seven times higher.

Also read: Europe is Facing Pandemic Fatigue, According to WHO

The study included data from coronavirus patients admitted across an academic medical center and nine hospitals within the Northwestern Medicine Healthcare system in Chicago between March and April. Moreover, a quarter of those patients required mechanical ventilation. The researchers found that around 42% of the patients, before going to the hospital, had neurological manifestations when they first started experiencing symptoms. Then when they were sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, nearly 63% of them showed neurological symptoms of coronavirus, according to the data.

The researchers also discovered that younger patients were found to be more likely to be impacted by the neurological symptoms of coronavirus than older patients. They wrote that the fact that any neurological manifestations as a whole were more likely to occur in younger people is surprising, and could be explained by greater clinical emphasis on the risk of respiratory failure than other symptoms in older patients, however in contrast encephalopathy was more frequent in older people. Less than 6% of patients in the study were evaluated by neurologists or neurosurgeons, so more research is needed to find out if similar findings would occur in other hospital systems.

Even after these patients left the hospital, many of their symptoms remained. Only around 32% of them were able to complete simple tasks like paying bills or cooking, according to the chief of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine and senior author of the study Dr. Igor Koralnik.

The study did not specify how the coronavirus can cause encephalopathy, however, Dr. Koralnik believes that encephalopathy is sometimes brought on by other diseases including those that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation, particularly in older patients. Moreover, a majority of the health experts believe that the covid19 doesn’t attack the brain cells directly but these neurological symptoms are a byproduct of inflammation and immune system responses.

This isn’t the first study of its kind, as a study in April of 214 coronavirus patients discovered that more than one-third of the patients experienced some sort of neurological complications. The virus is capable of causing neurological complications like brain inflammation, nerve damage, delirium, and stroke.

 

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Europeans are facing rising levels of pandemic fatigue as they are feeling less motivated for following restrictions after living with uncertainty and disruption for months, says WHO. According to WHO this fatigue varies depending on the country but it is now estimated to have crossed 60% in some cases. Hans Kluge, the regional director of WHO for Europe, said that the huge sacrifices made by the people had come at an extraordinary cost which has exhausted all the people regardless of where they live or what they do.

Hans Kluge said that after such hardships it is natural for the people to feel demotivated and apathetic and to experience this pandemic fatigue. He further added that based on aggregated survey data from countries across Europe, the fatigue is increasing among the surveyed.

Also Read: Actual Coronavirus Cases Worldwide Maybe 20 Times More than the Reported Cases, According to WHO

European Nations have registered more than 6 million coronavirus cases and close to 240,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic eight months ago, according to the data from WHO. After months of lockdown, the restrictions were gradually relaxed over the summer. However, Europe is now facing the second wave of the virus and instead of reinforcing lockdowns, the governments are emphasizing on recommending social distancing measures, good personal hygiene, and efforts to restrict social activity. However, due to the pandemic fatigue general public in Europe is refusing to adhere to the rules and is constantly arranging public protests against the restrictive measures.

The strategies to get people back on track and reduce the pandemic fatigue as proposed by Hans Kluge include understanding people by taking account of their opinion regularly and also acknowledging their hardships, involving communities in decisions and discussions as part of the solution, and allowing people to live their lives but limit the risk by using innovative ways to meet the needs of society. He also emphasizes virtual celebrations during religious events or floating cinemas that could be used to help people successfully adapt to the new normal.

Across Europe Britain remains the worst-hit country with more than 500,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Neighboring country Ireland, due to the recent surge in cases, is considering a nationwide lockdown. The national public health emergency team has recommended that the highest levels of coronavirus restrictions should be imposed again in the entire country as they were imposed during March.

Moreover, due to this second wave of the virus, Paris was forced to shutter its iconic cafes this week, which according to the police chief of Paris were braking measures because the pandemic is moving too fast. France reported around 17000 new coronavirus cases in a day on Saturday which is the highest number since the widespread testing began in the country. More than half of these new cases have been found in the extreme poverty region in Paris, particularly in migrants, said the French aid group Doctors without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday. The positivity rate in food distribution centers and emergency shelters stood at 55% compared with 12% across Paris currently.

Spain has also decided to impose partial lockdowns in the cities of Leon and Palencia after the people of Madrid and some nearby towns were not allowed to leave city limits for reasons other than medical or legal appointments, schools, or work. Regional authorities in Madrid criticized the restrictions, however, health care experts believe it’s for the best.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that according to its best estimates around 10% of the world’s population have been infected by covid19. Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s head of emergencies, said these figures vary on the country to country basis, as well as between rural and urban settings and different groups of people. The figure according to the estimates is 20 times more than the actual coronavirus cases worldwide which stand at 35 million.

According to the estimates of the WHO, around 760 million people may have contracted coronavirus worldwide based on the current global population of nearly 7.6 billion. Moreover, the estimate also suggests that the coronavirus kills around 0.14 percent of people infected which is slightly deadlier than seasonal flu which kills 0.1 percent of its patients. The last estimate of WHO regarding the death rate of covid19 was 0.6 percent, in comparison. While 10% of the world population being infected with the virus might seem like a staggeringly high figure, the WHO and Dr. Ryan warn that 9 out of 10 people i.e. 90% of the world population are still vulnerable to the disease.

Also Read: Coronavirus in New York: New York City Plan to Reverse Reopening of Businesses and Schools in areas with High Covid19 Positivity Rates

According to WHO millions of infections were not picked up during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in which nations struggled to develop tests in time due to the exponential growth of the virus, and because of which the actual coronavirus cases worldwide stand at only 35 million. For example, in the UK an average of 9000 cases of the virus are being reported daily but the experts are of the view that the original figure was over 100,000 during April when the virus was at its peak in the country, but the country was unable to test people at the pace required to know how the virus was really spreading.

Dr. Ryan, while speaking to a meeting of 34 executive board members of the WHO, said that Southeast Asia is experiencing a surge in new cases of the virus while the eastern Mediterranean and Europe are seeing a rise in deaths again. According to him the situation in the Western Pacific and Africa is rather more positive.

Deaths from coronavirus around the world have reached one million last week, approximately nine months after the first person was infected with the virus in January in Wuhan, China. The United States has suffered the most deaths with more than 200,000 people died of the virus, followed by Brazil with more than 142,000 deaths, then India with 96000 deaths; Mexico with 76000 and the United Kingdom with 43000 deaths up till now. The deaths from covid19 doubled from half a million within only three months.

Every 24 hours around the world more than 5400 people are dying of the virus, according to calculations. That makes 226 people dying in an hour or one person dying every 16 seconds. It means that 340 people die on average in the time it takes to watch a soccer match.

Health experts around the world remain concerned that the official figure for coronavirus cases worldwide and also the deaths from the virus does not truly represent the real tally because of inadequate recording and testing and a prospect of concealment by some nations.

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Public health officials were concerned for many weeks about a second wave of the coronavirus which may hit New York City, which had done remarkably well in beating the outbreak which killed more than 20,000 residents during the spring, and on Sunday Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed that from Wednesday all the schools and non-essential businesses in nine zip codes with a high positivity rate of the coronavirus will be temporarily closed. This is a major setback for the residents as coronavirus in New York was in control over the last month.

The Mayor said that the decision to reverse the reopening of businesses will be difficult for people who have sacrificed so much in order to fight the crisis. He further added that it is necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus in New York and it is necessary for the good of the whole city.

Also Read: Baby Born with With Coronavirus in His Body

The Mayor’s proposed plan, which is yet to be approved by the state, includes the closure of all public and private schools, daycares, and nonessential businesses. Also, the restaurants in the affected areas will have to stop indoor and outdoor dining but would be allowed to continue their pickup and delivery orders. If for a consecutive period of two weeks the positivity rates in the effected Zip codes remain below 3%, businesses and schools will be permitted to reopen. If not, the selected areas will be closed for a period of not less than 4 weeks.

The nine selected areas contain large populations of Jews communities, where the public health officials have found it difficult to persuade the residents to adhere to social distancing rules and wear masks. The positivity rates in those areas have been more than 3% percent in recent days and in some areas, it is as high as 8 percent, in contrast, the positivity rate of coronavirus in New York City is 1.5%. According to the mayor in another 11 Zip codes, the schools will be allowed to remain open but indoor dining would be banned. If Governor Andrew M. Cuomo approves the plan, it will go into effect beginning Wednesday.

The Zip codes that are included in the mayor’s proposal include:

• Edgemere/Far Rockaway, ZIP code 11691
• Borough Park, ZIP code 11219
• Gravesend/Homecrest, ZIP code 11223
• Midwood, ZIP code 11230
• Bensonhurst/Mapleton, ZIP code 11204,
• Flatlands/Midwood, ZIP code 11210
• Gerritsen Beach/Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay, ZIP code 11229
• Kew Gardens, ZIP code 11415
• Kew Gardens Hills/Pomonok, ZIP code 11367

Dr. Anthony Fauci Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that he is certainly not satisfied or pleased but is actually concerned and disturbed about the fact that the daily number of infections in the US is still stuck around 40,000. He believes that it is no place to be when trying to get your arms around a pandemic.

Around 7.4 million people have been infected with the virus in the United States and nearly 210,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. On Friday the US recorded the highest daily number of cases of coronavirus in nearly two months.

 

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