Arcturus COVID Strain Slowly Enters Florida
As COVID-positive patient As patients continue to leave Florida hospitals, the latest virus variant believed to cause Pink Eye is spreading across the state. Meanwhile, state health officials have yet to resume weekly reporting of case and death data to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are the latest:
Arcturus is slowly spreading in Florida
A dozen cases of coronavirus strain Arcturus What appears to be related to pink eye infection has so far been found in Florida. daily mailThe word means “guardian of bears”.
The international COVID initiative, GISAID, has collected 12 cases of Arcturus, a derivative of the Omicron subspecies of the virus. Officially classified as XBB.1.16, it accounts for an estimated 4% to 15% of cases in the southeastern United States, the CDC reports.
There are reports that it causes conjunctivitis, but scientists have yet to confirm that this strain causes conjunctivitis. The first Arcturus case in Florida collected by GISAID, he was confirmed on February 15th.
COVID hospitalizations are still declining
795 hospitalized patients Fewer Fridays since April 25, 2022. That’s a lot less than about 3,000 in early January. (Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Florida’s weekly COVID reporting to CDC still on hold
Florida Department of Health It did not respond to questions on Friday about when it would resume weekly reporting of COVID cases and deaths to the CDC.
The state health department announced on April 7 that it had suspended data transmission to the CDC and upgraded its case-reporting system to accommodate the CDC’s expanded situation. Definition of a COVID case.
Definition changed in late February. This now includes test results from commercial kits as well as tests performed on the dead.
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Before Florida stopped sending statistics to the CDC, federal agencies reported new cases and deaths from the state every week. Since then, the state health department’s bi-weekly COVID report has become the sole source of these updates.
The department removed more than 32,000 cases in its latest report, issued April 14. The agency has yet to explain why.
Viral load is slowly rising in Leon and several other counties
waste waterRevealing coronavirus trends earlier than official case numbers.
In tests, a private laboratory biobot analysis based in Miami-Dade County, Boston found 358 coronavirus particles per milliliter of sewage. This is a 58% increase for him since March 29, but a 64% decrease for him since late January.
Results were similar in Seminole County, just north of Orange County. Wednesday’s reading found 522 virus particles per milliliter of sewage. It’s higher than it was three weeks ago, but still at 36% of January’s level.
Last week’s readings from Leon County, home of Tallahassee, revealed elevated levels there, but still far less than in January.Biobot has yet to report new results this week.
Wastewater from Gainesville and Alachua County, home to the University of Florida, rose slightly from late March to last week before showing levels dropping again.
Sewage readings in Palm Beach, Hillsboro, Orange and Pinellas counties continue to show viral loads well below their winter peaks.
Should I wear a mask indoors?
Lack of data from the state prevents CDC from issuing indoor masking recommendations in Florida.
Florida still has the worst vaccination rates in the nation
30.4% — Floridians 65+ with the latest booster*
42.4% — Elderly population is increasing nationwide**
11.5% — Latest Floridian about shots
16.7% — Newest American
Over 7.5 million In Florida, more than 1 in 3 residents are infected.
* People over the age of 65 account for the majority of deaths from COVID.
**Only seniors in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee have less protection than seniors in Florida.
Chris Persaud is a data reporter for the Palm Beach Post.send him an e-mailcpersaud[at]pbpost.com. click @ChrisMPersaud follow him on twitter.
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