Category Archives: Corona Virus

MADRID, June 26 (Reuters) - Authorities in Mallorca are investigating a coronavirus outbreak involving more than 600 students celebrating the end of term in the Spanish island, just as it prepares for British tourists to return following the easing of travel curbs.

Students visiting from the mainland went to a music concert at a bullring in the capital, Palma, as well as parties on boats and in hotels, and officials said on Saturday they wanted to find out if venues had adhered to virus-control measures.

The outbreak comes as the Balearic Islands gear up for an expected influx of tourists after the British government put the islands on its "green travel list" from June 30.

That means holidaymakers will not have to quarantine on return from the islands, long a popular destination for sun-seeking Britons. read more

All of the students who tested positive for coronavirus were Spanish and had travelled from different parts of the country to celebrate the end of university qualification examinations.

At least 1,000 students have had to go into isolation, the Balearic Islands' health authorities said, and some of the teenagers showed mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Spaniards were allowed to stop wearing face masks outdoors on Saturday after more than a year as coronavirus cases fell, but they must continue to wear them inside or when social distancing is impossible. read more

Reporting by Graham KeeleyEditing by Helen Popper

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Mallorca probes COVID-19 outbreak among hundreds of partying students - Reuters

Congress holds moment of silence for 600,000 lives lost to Covid-19

Members of Congress gathered on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol to hold a moment of silence for a grim milestone: 600,000 Americans lives lost to Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were joined by a large group of lawmakers to mark the solemn occasion. They also sang "God Bless America."

A 72-year-old man in England is believed to be have had "the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection" after testing positive for coronavirus some 300 days. Dave Smith, of Bristol, is described in medical papers documenting his case as being immunocompromised and with a history of cancer, which may have put him at an increased risk for prolonged infection.

In a preprint paper, released ahead of the July European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference where his case will be presented, doctors noted that the virus did not clear after a 15-day course of Remdesivir. On day 265 of his illness, he was treated with two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, and his health improved "dramatically." Forty-five days after the treatment, the virus was not detected in RT-PCR tests.

The drugs were reportedly made available to him through compassionate use and are not yet clinically approved for use in the U.K.

FILE - Hospital staff change bed linens for a COVID-19 patient at Roseland Community Hospital on Dec. 15, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.

RELATED: US COVID-19 deaths: Most who died recently were unvaccinated, data shows

"It is wonderful that we were able to help this individual," Dr. Ed Moran, consultant in infectious diseases at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), which worked in conjunction with University of Bristol researchers, said in a news release. "Whilst such cases are rare there will be a number of people across the country in similar situations. The small numbers make it difficult to perform experimental therapies. However, it is important that we find a way to access and develop treatment regimens for these individuals both for the wellbeing of the individual and to protect public health."

In an interview with The Guardian, Smith revealed that his wife "started to arrange a funeral five times," and that he had been admitted to the hospital seven times during the duration of his illness.

"At one point, I was bedridden for two or three months," he told The Guardian. "My wife had to wash and shave me in bed because I just couldnt stand up. Sometimes I thought, I wish theyd take me in the middle of the night, because I just cant go on anymore. You get to the point where you are more afraid of living than you are of dying."

He said that while hes now clear of the virus, the infection destroyed his lungs and he still suffers from shortness of breath.

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Man believed to have longest coronavirus infection had virus for 300 days - FOX 29 News Philadelphia

The latest:

Canada's chief public health officer received her second COVID-19 vaccine dose on Saturday, this time being jabbed with a Moderna shot.

"Thrilled to receive my 2nd #COVID19Vaccine dose today (Moderna this time)!" Dr. Theresa Tam posted on Twitter, along with a photo of her pointing at her arm at a mass vaccination clinic at the University of Ottawa.

"Big thanks to the staff@OttawaHealth and #frontlineworkers at vaccination clinics across Canada, for their important and tireless work!" she tweeted.

Tam said back in April that her first dose was a Pfizer-BioNTech shot. She now joins the 25 per cent of Canadianswho've been administered two shots.

Her second dose comes after Pfizer announced a delay in shipments to Canada, and theNational Advisory Committee on Immunization said mixing mRNA vaccines whichPfizer andModerna both are is safe, prompting many provinces to shift to rolling out Moderna for those first inoculated with Pfizer.

"This is not a new concept, so having a multi-dose series in terms of vaccines given by manufacturers is something that public health have used over time for many other vaccines," Tam said in early June. "When vaccines programs and supplies change, this is not an unusual thing to do."

As of 3:30p.m.ETon Saturday, Canada had reported 1,412,868 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 8,924considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 26,214. More than 34 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according toCBC's vaccine tracker.

Saskatchewan tallied 61 new COVID-19 infections and one additional death on Saturday. The province also said70 per cent of residents 12 and older have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Manitoba registered106 newcases and threemore fatalities

Also Saturday, the province moves out of code red for the first time since November.Now that 70 per cent of eligible Manitobans have received one dose of aCOVID-19 vaccine and 25 per cent have their second shot, people canvisit restaurants, salons and gyms.

The provincial government is still urging residents "to continue to follow the fundamentals and adhere to public health orders."

WATCH |Restaurants scramble to find staff as Man. COVID-19 rules ease:

Ontario logged 346 new cases and 13 more deaths.

As of 8 a.m. on Saturday, Ontario youth between the ages of 12 and17 who live in designated hot spots for the delta COVID-19 variantcan book accelerated second vaccine dose appointments.

Quebec on Monday will move to thelowest alert level of the province's colour-coded COVID-19 alert system, which allows for more relaxed restrictions on social gatherings and group sports.

WATCH |Bigger parties, more sports andfewer masks as Que. to ease restrictions:

New BrunswickPublic Health says 76,000 doses were given out in the past week, the highest seven-day rolling average since the pandemic began.

Nova Scotia reported 11 new caseson Saturday, all in the central health zone.

Prince Edward Island Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison saidthe province is rolling ahead with aplan to open up to Atlantic Canada this coming Sunday.

In the Northwest Territories, a non-resident has tested positive in Hay River.Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandolasaid the case is linked to out-of-territory travel and that there arecurrentlyno public health risk exposures.

As of Saturday, more than 180.4 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to the latest numbers from Johns Hopkins University's coronavirustracker.The reported global death toll stood at more than 3.9 million.

In Europe,Russia has reported 619 new COVID-19 deaths its highest dailydeath toll of the year as the country grapples with a sharp spike in infections that has brought new restrictions in some regions.

In the Americas,Mexico says it will reopen two temporary wards to handle a resurgence of COVID-19 cases after months of closing temporary hospital spaces as the coronavirus pandemic receded.

In Africa,virus cases are surging in Uganda, making scarce hospital beds even more expensive, and concern is growing over the alleged exploitation of patients by private hospitals accused of demanding payment up front and hiking fees.

In Asia-Pacific,Sydney, Australia, and some surrounding areas will enter a hard two-week lockdown on Saturday as authorities struggle to control a fast-spreading outbreak of the highly infectious delta variant that has grown to 80 cases.

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Coronavirus: What happened in Canada and around the world on June 26 - CBC.ca

Almost 71% of Illinois adults have received at least one vaccine dose and more than 54% are fully vaccinated

SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 1,744 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 66 additional deaths since reporting last Friday, June 18, 2021. Almost 71% of Illinois adults have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and more than 54% of Illinois adults are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 1,390,432 cases, including 23,199 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois. The age of cases ranges from younger than one to older than 100 years. Since reporting on Friday, June 18, 2021, laboratories have reported 276,760 specimens for a total of 25,634,328. As of last night, 435 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 99 patients were in the ICU and 53 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators.

In mid-June, more than 50 teens and adult staff at a summer youth camp in central Illinois tested positive for COVID-19. At least one person was hospitalized. Although all campers and staff were eligible for vaccination, IDPH is aware of only a handful of campers and staff receiving the vaccine. The camp was not checking vaccination status and masking was not required while indoors. All campers and staff went home and were asked to be tested and told to quarantine. As more transmissible and dangerous COVID-19 variants spread, including the Delta variant, largely among people who have not been vaccinated, IDPH continues to encourage all residents 12 years and older to be vaccinated.

The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from June 18-24, 2021 is 0.6%. The preliminary seven-day statewide test positivity from June 18-24, 2021 is 0.8%.

A total of 12,360,117 vaccines have been administered in Illinois as of last midnight. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 28,798 doses. Since reporting on Friday, June 18, 2021, 201,587 doses were reported administered in Illinois.

*All data are provisional and will change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19.

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Public Health Officials Announce 1,744 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Over the Past Week | IDPH - IDPH

How many Texans have been vaccinated?As of June 23, 13.7 million people have received at least one dose and 11.6 million people, or 40% of Texas' population, are fully vaccinated. A total of 24.3 million doses have been administered. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose.Texas received its first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14. The vaccines are available to everyone age 12 and older in Texas, regardless of occupation or health status.COVID-19 vaccine doses reported each dayThe state has administered 24.3 million doses as of June 23. The number of doses reported each day includes doses administered on previous days.

Health experts estimate 75% to 90% of Texans would need to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity. This is about 22 million people, or nearly 100% of adults in the state. The state is still far from reaching that threshold, even when considering people who have some immunity from a previous case of COVID-19. The CDC recommends people previously infected get vaccinated because scientists aren't sure how long immunity lasts for them.

SEE RELATED STORY: Could Houston-area reach herd immunity by late summer?

The state's vaccination effort has faced geographic, demographic and data challenges, many of which are unique to Texas, including a higher-than-average number of people who are too young to get the vaccine and a sluggish data collection system that can take days to publicly report doses administered.

A third of Texas' population lives in more rural areas, where health care is harder to access. State health officials initially rolled out vaccine hubs to help administer shots. But in May, the state shifted the responsibility to a growing number of doctors, pharmacies, public health offices and other smaller providers who have closer relationships with the community.

The distribution of the vaccine is unequal, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. Among people who have received at least one shot, the percent of white recipients is roughly in line with their proportion of the state's population, while Hispanic and Black residents are being vaccinated at lower rates.

Advocates say that language barriers and lack of access to health care providers and transportation have contributed to these disparities. Lower income individuals also face challenges trying to book a vaccine appointment through a process that favors people who have easy access to the internet and transportation.

The Hispanic and Black populations in Texas are younger compared with the state's white residents, which also adds to the disparities. Around 20% of the Hispanic population is under 12, and none of the vaccines are approved for children below 12. A majority of Texans age 80 and older are white.

These totals may differ from what county and city health departments report. The Tribune is measuring both the number of cases in each county and the rate of cases per 1,000 residents in the last two weeks.

On June 24, the state reported 10,709 available staffed hospital beds, including 813 available staffed ICU beds statewide. COVID-19 patients currently occupy 2.3% of total hospital beds.

Some regions with the highest mortality rates are predominantly Hispanic. The virus has been more deadly in Hidalgo and Cameron counties in the Rio Grande Valley, where death rates rival more populous parts of the state like Dallas and San Antonio. In El Paso County, thousands of residents have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, placing the region far ahead of other major urban counties in deaths per 1,000 residents.

New variants of the coronavirus that seem to spread more easily have been found in Texas, though preliminary studies suggest that vaccinations are still effective against the variants.

The state reports very limited demographic data for people who have had COVID-19, so the impact on Texans of color is difficult to measure.

There are 440,181 known probable cases in 229 counties, including 613 newly reported cases on June 24. The state began reporting probable cases, which can be detected through antigen tests, in November. A total of 25 counties, including Harris, Travis, and El Paso, are not reporting probable cases to the state, though antigen tests may take place there.

This rate is calculated by dividing the average number of confirmed cases by the average number of molecular tests conducted over the last seven days. This shows how the situation has changed over time by deemphasizing daily swings.

In order to publish data quickly, the state has to bypass what is normally a monthslong process of reviewing infectious disease data and performing quality checks before publishing. That's why all of these numbers and information are provisional and subject to change.

The state's data includes cases from federal immigration detention centers, federal prisons and starting in mid-May, state prisons. It does not include cases or vaccinations reported at military bases.

Texas' population estimate is from the Census Bureau's 2019 one-year American Community Survey. Population estimates for the state's counties are from the 2019 five-year survey, which captures smaller counties. The state's population by race, ethnicity and age group are from the Census Bureau's 2019 Vintage population estimates.

The video above is from a previous story.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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40% of Texans are fully vaccinated as daily COVID deaths drop to lowest point in more than a year - KTRK-TV

June 24, 2021 -- A scientist in Seattle found genetic data about the coronavirus that was stored on a National Institutes of Health archive and later deleted, according to The Washington Post.

Jesse Bloom, PhD, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, posted about his recovery of deleted deep sequencing data on the bioRxiv preprint server on Tuesday. The paper hasnt yet been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.

Bloom said the data sheds more light on the early Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, though the scientific significance of his report remains unclear. Scientists expressed both favorable and unfavorable opinions on Wednesday, as well as what the data could mean for the initial outbreak in China.

I recognize this is a hot-button topic, Bloom told the Post. Its not a highly traditional scientific study, but at least it has some new data and new information.

Bloom recovered deleted files from the Google Cloud that had been stored in the National Library of Medicines Sequence Read Archive. He then reconstructed partial sequences of 13 early epidemic viruses. Based on an analysis of the sequences, Bloom said the Huanan Seafood Market sequences that are the focus of the joint World Health Organization-China report on the origin of the outbreak dont fully represent the viruses that were in Wuhan at the beginning of the epidemic.

Instead, Bloom wrote, the initial sequences likely had three key mutations that are similar to coronavirus relatives in bats. He doesnt think the recovered data explains the origins of the coronavirus, but he believes that the virus was circulating in Wuhan before December.

This study provides no evidence either way, he told the newspaper. But it does indicate that we probably have not exhausted all relevant data.

The National Institutes of Health confirmed that the raw data had been deleted from the database, the Post reported. The information was included in a preprint paper that Chinese scientists posted in March 2020 and later published in the journal Small in June.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NIH said that a researcher who originally published the data asked for the information to be removed from the NIH database so it could be included in a different database. The NIH also said it is standard practice to remove data if requested.

These SARS-CoV-2 sequences were submitted for posting in [the Sequence Read Archive] in March 2020 and subsequently requested to be withdrawn by the submitting investigator in June 2020, the NIH wrote in a statement.

The requestor indicated the sequence information had been updated, was being submitted to another database, and wanted the data removed from SRA to avoid version control issues, the NIH wrote.

Other submissions have been removed from databases since the beginning of the pandemic. The NIH reported that the National Library of Medicine had identified eight instances when researchers had withdrawn submissions to the library. That includes the data retrieved by Bloom and the rest from submitters predominantly in the U.S., the newspaper reported.

Scientists who have been studying the origins of the coronavirus shared differing opinions online on Wednesday and with numerous news outlets, including reports in The New York Times and Science. Some said the data was nothing new and that it could still be found in scientific literature. Others said the early data needs to be better preserved and shared.

Either way, Blooms paper appears to be adding fuel to the discussion about the origins of the pandemic. Last month, President Joe Biden ordered intelligence agencies to conduct a 90-day review and provide a report. In an interview with Yahoo! News this week, Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, said its possible that the answer will never be known.

The best thing I can do is present the facts as we know them and to present the analysis that weve done in as unbiased a way possible, she said.

WebMD Health News Brief

The Washington Post: Seattle scientist digs up deleted coronavirus genetic data, adding fuel to the covid origin debate.

bioRxiv: Recovery of deleted deep sequencing data sheds more light on the early Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.

Small: Nanopore Targeted Sequencing for the Accurate and Comprehensive Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses.

The New York Times: Scientist Finds Early Virus Sequences That Had Been Mysteriously Deleted.

Science: Claim that Chinese team hid early SARS-CoV-2 sequences to stymie origin hunt sparks furor.

Yahoo! News: Exclusive: Bidens top intelligence official says COVID origins may never be known.

Original post:

US Scientist Finds Deleted Coronavirus Genetic Data - WebMD

The latest:

Ontario's soon-to-be top doctor says he's hopeful the COVID-19 pandemic will move to "an endemic state, where we can try to get back to normal," this fall.

Dr. Kieran Moore said Thursday the government is planningto restore basic public health functionsthat were cast aside during the pandemic, while continuing to trace contacts of new cases of the virus, identify emerging variants and respond to outbreaks in schools, jails, long-term care homes and other congregate settings.

"It's very important that all Canadians realize it's only 10 per cent of the globe that's going to have access to vaccines as we speak," said the province's incoming chief medical officer of health.

"We're so fortunate in Ontario and Canada to be leaders in being immunized. But 90 per cent of the globe is not immunized, and that's where the virus continues to circulate, where mutations will develop, and any returning traveller could bring the virus back into Canada at any given time."

Moore answered questions alongside Dr. David Williams, who will passhim the chief medical officer of health torchSaturday.

The pair celebrated Ontario's vaccination rate while cautioning that people shouldn't let their guarddown too quickly. More than 76 per cent of adults have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and about 29 per cent have both doses, they said.

Those rates are higher than the thresholds the government said Ontario would need to meetto move into Stage 3 of its reopening plan. But the province will start with Stage 2 on June 30, just two days earlier than planned.

"We'd rather be taking slow strides forward than trip going out the door," Williams said.

Ontarioofficialsreported six deaths and 296 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

-From CBC News, last updated at 7:25p.m. ET

WATCH | Cross-Canada push for vaccines:

As of 8:25p.m.Thursday,Canada had reported 1,411,652 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 9,349 considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 26,192. More than 34million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far across the country, according toCBC's vaccine tracker.

Nova Scotiareported five new cases Thursday, as New Brunswickreported two new cases, while no new cases were reported inNewfoundland and Labrador. P.E.I. did not report any cases as of late Thursday.

Nova Scotia's top doctor on Thursday alsodefended his decision to keep the border with New Brunswick closed, one that prompted protesters to blockade the main border crossing for almost 24 hours. Dr. Robert Strang said New Brunswick is taking a risk by opening to travellers from the rest of Canada, one that he isn't willing to take in Nova Scotia.

InQuebec, where a coroner's inquest into COVID-19 deaths in long-term care is ongoing, health officials reported 96 new casesThursday and four more deaths, though they said none of the deaths happened in the previous 24 hours.

In the Prairie provinces,Manitobareported two deaths and 106 new cases Thursday.

Saskatchewanreported 52 new cases Thursday, as itopened second dose eligibility to anyone who got a first dose at least 28 days ago.

InAlberta, health officials reported 73 new cases and one additional death, as British Columbia reported 75 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths.

Across the North, there were no new cases reported inNunavutor theNorthwest Territories, asYukon reported 18 new cases on Thursday.

-From The Canadian Press and CBC News, last updated at 9:05 p.m. ET

As of late afternoon Thursday, more than 179.7 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide, according to data published on the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracking tool. The reportedglobal death toll stood at more than 3.8 million.

InEurope, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the continent is"on thin ice" in its battle againstCOVID-19,as EUleaders agreed that vaccinations should be sped up to fight thehighly contagious delta variant.

Also Thursday, Britain added 17 countries and territories, including Malta, the Balearic Islands and Madeira, to its "green" list of safe travel destinations amid pressure from airlines and travel companies to relaxrestrictions. People traveling to those destinations will no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days upon return.

Coronavirus infections continue to soar in Russia, with authorities reporting 20,182 new cases Thursday and 568 further deaths. Both tallies are the highest since late January.

Danish health officials are urging soccer fans who attended the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Belgium in Copenhagen on June 17 to be tested after they found at least three people who afterward tested positive with the delta variant.

In Africa,officials said Thursday that the continent was facing adevastating resurgence of COVID-19 infections whose peak will surpass that of earlier waves.

"The third wave is picking up speed, spreading faster, hitting harder," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.

The delta variant"may have played a very significant role" in the third wavein at least 20 countries across Africa, said the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong.

More and more health centres are saying they are overwhelmed, and African countries urgently need vaccines to help battle the disease, he said.

In theMiddle East,Israel's government has postponed the planned reopening of the country to vaccinated tourists over concerns about the spread of the infectious delta variant of the coronavirus. Israel was set to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors on July 1, after having largely closed the country during the pandemic.But after a rise in infections, the government willbe pushing that date until Aug. 1.

In theAmericas,Mexico will donate over 400,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses on Thursday to the so-called Northern Triangle Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the Mexican foreign ministry said.

Officials offered new promises Thursday that Haiti would soon receive its first vaccine doses, as the country of more than 11 million people reels from a spike in coronavirus cases and COVID-19 deaths that have saturated hospitals.

In theAsia-Pacificregion,Australia's most-populous state, New South Wales, reported a double-digit rise in new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the third straight day as officials fight to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious delta variant.

Indonesia recorded its biggest daily increase in cases Thursday with 20,574 new infections.

-From Reuters and The Associated Press, last updated at 9:05p.m. ET

Excerpt from:

Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Thursday - CBC.ca

Oregon health officials announced 233 new coronavirus cases Wednesday and two new deaths.

The Oregon Health Authority reported just under 1,700 cases during the week ending Sunday, the agency said, the lowest number in nine months and a 4.7% drop from the previous week.

About 38,143 adults need to get at least one shot for Oregon to reach the 70% threshold Gov. Kate Brown set for removing all COVID-19 restrictions, the agency said.

As of Wednesday, 68.9% of Oregonians 18 and over have received at least one shot, compared to 65.6% of all Americans in that age group, according to federal health data. While exceeding the national rate, Oregons vaccination rate falls behind Washington and California. At least 73% of adults in both states have received at least one shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SEE STATE AND COUNTY COVID-19 TRENDS

Vaccines: Oregon reported 8,306 newly administered doses, which includes 4,465 Tuesday and the remainder from previous days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (7), Benton (4), Clackamas (14), Columbia (3), Coos (8), Crook (3), Curry (5), Deschutes (14), Douglas (11), Grant (1), Harney (2), Hood River (1), Jackson (18), Jefferson (4), Josephine (6), Lane (13), Lincoln (3), Linn (14), Malheur (2), Marion (29), Morrow (2), Multnomah (27), Polk (8), Umatilla (7), Union (1), Wasco (10), Washington (12) and Yamhill (4).

Who died: Oregons 2,758th death connected to the coronavirus is a 27-year-old Lane County woman who tested positive June 20 and died June 21 at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend.

The 2759th death is a 67-year-old Marion County man who tested positive May 30 and died June 20 at Salem Hospital.

Both had underlying medical conditions.

Hospitalizations: 155 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, up nine from Tuesday. That includes 34 people in intensive care, down one from Tuesday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 207,333 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,759 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 4,326,249 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,115,776 people and partially vaccinating 244,961 people.

-- Fedor Zarkhin

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Coronavirus in Oregon: 2 new deaths and 233 cases as weekly cases drop - OregonLive

Our data suggest a larger spread of the COVD-19 [sic] pandemic in the United States during the first six months than originally thought, the study said.

The study did not address how many people might have undiagnosed infections now. The US total of diagnosed infections has grown to around 33.4 million on Thursday.

A hallmark of the coronavirus pandemic is that there are people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 who have few or no symptoms, said Dr. Matthew J. Memoli of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of several NIH institutes leading the study.

While counting the numbers of symptomatic people in the United States is essential to contend with the impact of the pandemic and public health response, gaining a full appreciation of the COVID-19 prevalence requires counting the people who are undiagnosed, he said this week in an NIH statement.

Researchers came up with their estimates after looking at blood samples from a representative sample of over 8,000 undiagnosed people, searching for antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, the NIH said.

The findings come as the United States is struggling to get as many people as possible vaccinated against the virus, while officials warn of the worrisome new delta variant.

Other studies have also suggested that large numbers of cases have gone undiagnosed. A Columbia University researcher estimated earlier this year, based on computer modeling, that the number of undiagnosed people continued to be multiple times higher than the number of diagnosed people.

Dr. Thomas Tsai, a professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the NIH study suggests that there may be a higher than expected level of infection-induced immunity currently in the US population, but he said he wasnt aware of any definitive estimate of that level.

It may sound reassuring that, in addition to the 177 million people who have gotten at least one dose of vaccine, there are many millions who may have some natural protection against the coronavirus after contracting it and never getting tested for it.

But experts emphasize people should get their shots even if theyve had COVID-19.

You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19, the CDC says on its website. Thats because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possiblealthough rarethat you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. Studies have shown that vaccination provides a strong boost in protection in people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Tsai said, I think getting vaccination is still incredibly important. Especially with the delta variant which has been shown to have increased household transmission and increased severity of illness, vaccination remains important to protecting the health of individuals and their family members.

Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com.

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New study suggests many were infected last year but never diagnosed with COVID-19 - The Boston Globe

Five deaths were recorded in the Northland in the seven-day period four in St. Louis County and one in Koochiching County.

Seven-day total of new cases and daily averages in Northland counties:

Of the 51 new cases in the Northland this week, 19 were in St. Louis County, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. When broken down by city, 15 cases were accounted for in data from St. Louis County.

New cases in St. Louis County cities June 18-24:

As of Thursday, the county's seven-day testing positivity rate was 0.7%, a 0.5% decrease from last week. The county conducted 2,560 tests June 18-24.

Carlton County logged six new cases in the last week, according to Minnesota Department of Health data, but when broken down by ZIP code, seven cases were recorded. Those new cases came from 542 tests, putting this week's testing positivity rate at 1.1%.

New cases in Carlton County ZIP codes June 18-24:

Between June 18 and 24, 2,736 more people became fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Northland and 1,444 people received a first dose of the vaccine. There are now 217,804 Northlanders who have received at least one dose and 205,207 are fully vaccinated.

Percentage of people with at least one dose in each county:

Duluth's health care systems continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as vaccine rates slow down. At St. Luke's, 77% employees and 96% of physicians are fully vaccinated as of June 15, according to Sue Miller, occupational health nurse.

Essentia Health did not provide specific numbers about staff vaccinations, but Chief Medical Officer Peter Henry said vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective at slowing the spread of the virus and reducing serious complications from it.

"We trust the guidance and science from top medical experts in the country and encourage everyone to receive the shot, including all of our staff members," Henry said.

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Northland COVID-19 cases decline for 8th consecutive week - Duluth News Tribune