COVID-19 Update for Saturday, August 22, 2020

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Videos
Pandemic Heroes
Macon County COVID-19 News
Research
Masks
Schools
COVID-19 in the USA
COVID-19 Around the World
Sports, Entertainment, and Other Crowded Venues
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Here is an update for this afternoon on how humanity is dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic that is caused by SARS CoV-2. The story is told through links to news outlets, research papers, and videos. They are presented without comment.

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Macon County COVID-19 News



Schools started back on Monday, August 17th with most children attending school twice a week for in-person instruction. High School students will attend one day a week, with an opportunity for extra instruction on Fridays.

Press Release from Macon County Public Schools:

Saturday, August 22, 2020

This morning we were notified of a member of our Franklin High School staff as well as a student at Mountain View Intermediate has tested positive for COVID-19.

These individuals are currently under quarantine. Contact tracing is currently underway through the Macon County Health Department. Any student or staff member identified through the contact tracing will be notified.

Macon County Schools will continue to work closely with the Macon County Health Department as we monitor this situation.

Data from Macon County Public Health as of July 20th and graph by Macon Media of data from May 30th to July 20th [LINK] 

Please note there is a gap for Saturdays and Sundays starting this past weekend since the health department will no longer be reporting numbers on those days.

update #2

A number of Franklin High School administrators, support staff, and teachers are under quarantine as a result of the positive case of COVID-19 identified at Franklin High School. The staff members under quarantine will not be allowed to return to school for 10-14 days. These staff members are essential to the safety of our students. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the students at Franklin High School that face-to-face instruction be suspended through September 11, 2020. At that time, conditions will be reevaluated.

update #3

This afternoon we were notified that a student at Macon Middle School tested positive for COVID-19.

This individual is currently under quarantine. Contact tracing is currently underway through the Macon County Health Department. Any student or staff member identified through the contact tracing will be notified.


Macon County Schools will continue to work closely with the Macon County Health Department as we monitor this situation.

update #4

A number of Franklin High School administrators, support staff, and teachers are under quarantine as a result of the positive case of COVID-19 identified at Franklin High School. The staff members under quarantine will not be allowed to return to school for 10-14 days. These staff members are essential to the safety of our students. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the students at Franklin High School that face-to-face instruction be suspended through September 11, 2020. At that time, conditions will be reevaluated.






497 Detected Cases (+7 since Friday)
35 Active Positive (unchanged since Friday)
458 Recovered (+7 in one day since Friday)
4 Death (unchanged since Friday)

Testing Data for Macon County

4540 MCPH Tests (+97 since Friday)
1680 Tests by Others (+30 since Friday)
6220 Total Tests (+265 since Friday)
131 Tests Pending Results (+83 since Friday)







Here are some numbers from the CDC, the NCDHHS, and the Johns Hopkins Dashboard. Macon Media prefers the Johns Hopkins Dashboard because the counts include those non-residents that are left out of the CDC and NCDHHS numbers. (These numbers were retrieved shortly before publication of this article)

Earth [LINK]

23,177,606 Detected Infections
804,218 Reported Deaths

USA [LINK]

5,796,727 Detected Infections
179,200 Reported Deaths COVID-19 now No. 3 cause of death in US [LINK] https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/512427-covid-19-now-no-3-cause-of-death-in-us

Sources for North Carolina Numbers

CoronaWiki [LINK]
151,910 Detected Infections
2,494 Reported Deaths


CDC [LINK]

149,904 Detected Infections
2,465 Reported Deaths


NCDHHS [LINK]

151,912 Detected Infections
2,030,885 Total Tests
1,015 Reported Current Hospitalizations
2,494 Reported Deaths

Other sources for COVID-19 numbers and data

JOhns Hopkins Dashboard[LINK]

North Carolina Coronavirus Map and Case Count [LINK]

Macon County

Data from Macon County Public Health as of Friday afternoon and graph by Macon Media of data from May 30th to August 21st [LINK] 

Please note there is a gap for Saturdays and Sundays since the health department has stopped reporting numbers on the weekends.







514 Detected Cases (+7 in one day)
41 Active Positive (-1 in one day)
469 Recovered (+8 in one day since Friday)
4 Death (unchanged)

Testing Data for Macon County

4677 MCPH Tests (+65 in one day)
1680 Tests by Others (unchanged)
6357 Total Tests (+65 in one day)
123 Tests Pending Results (+28 in one day)




And here is the weekly Demographic Update from Macon County Public Health released on Wednesday, August 19th. The next demographic update will be on Wednesday, August 12th.










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Videos

Dr John Campbell

Global Update, US and Europe





About That Neck Gaiter Study... | SciShow News






As COVID-19 spreads, don’t forget about the world’s deadliest animal







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Pandemic Heroes


Lost on the Frontline [LINK]


North Alabama ER nurse dies from coronavirus: ‘She had been on the front lines of this pandemic’ [LINK]




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Research Papers, Clinical Trials, and News About Such



Infectious Disease Society says hydroxychloroquine should not be used to treat coronavirus patients [LINK]

Just breathe: Israeli-made Nano COVID breath test spots every carrier in trial [LINK]

Nasal vaccine against COVID-19 prevents infection in mice [LINK]

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the first trimester placenta leading to vertical transmission and fetal demise from an asymptomatic mother [LINK]

SARS-CoV-2 infects brain choroid plexus and disrupts the blood-CSF-barrier [LINK]

Study Adds to Evidence That Odor-Sensing Cells in the Nose Are the Key Entry Point for SARS CoV-2 [LINK]

Breastmilk; a source of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA antibodies [LINK]

SARS-CoV-2 in cardiac tissue of a child with COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome [LINK]

People with COVID-19 often lie about symptoms and distancing, according to research [LINK]

Here’s Some Hope: People Have Lasting Immunity To COVID-19, Even After Mild Cases [LINK]





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Masks, Masks, Masks
(Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!)


Science, society, and policy in the face of uncertainty: reflections on the debate around face coverings for the public during COVID-19 [LINK]



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Back to School


Download a PDF of "LIGHTING OUR WAY FORWARD: North Carolina's Guidebook for Re-opening Schools" [LINK]


Covid in the Classroom? Shhh. Some Schools Are Keeping It Quiet [LINK]

Oregon schools won’t reopen until state sees substantial coronavirus decline, governor says [LINK]

With nearly 100 new COVID-19 cases in one day, NCSU students decide whether to move out [LINK]

Inside the Slow-Moving Disaster of Students Returning to (U.S.) College Campuses [LINK]



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COVID-19 in the USA



Platforms successfully stopped a COVID conspiracy video from going viral [LINK]

Prisoners say they were told to refuse COVID tests to keep rates low [LINK]

5 Oahu hospitals at or near capacity as coronavirus infections continue to surge [LINK]

Americans Oppose Religious Exemptions From Coronavirus-Related Restrictions [LINK]

CDC says U.S. could control coronavirus in 12 weeks if most Americans wear masks, social distance [LINK]

‘My little boy suffered the consequences’: Florida mom regrets lax approach to virus [LINK]

6-year-old girl with coronavirus dies, Florida’s youngest victim of the disease [LINK]

Florida’s unemployment rate jumps to 11.3% as businesses battle through COVID-19 [LINK]

Half US COVID Deaths are People of Color [LINK]

Coronavirus in NY: Hospitalizations fall below 500 for first time since March [LINK]

You're not crazy: Loss of travel causing people to feel stress and anxiety [LINK]

Virus Alters Where People Open Their Wallets, Hinting at a Halting Recovery [LINK]




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COVID-19 Around the World



Europe’s Virus Surge Is Looking Less Deadly Than Initial Wave [LINK]

Coronavirus: Belgian experts 'shocked' as AstraZeneca seeks liability waiver for vaccine [LINK]

India May Get Oxford's COVID-19 Vaccine In December; Covaxin May Also Be Available By Year-End [LINK]





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Sports, Entertainment, Public Transportation, and Other Crowded Venues



Sturgis rally linked to 15 Minnesota COVID-19 cases, including 1 hospitalization
"Thousands of people attended that event, and so it's very likely that we will see more transmission," said Kris Ehresmann, the state's director of infectious diseases [LINK]




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Published at 6:00pm on Saturday, August 22, 2020