Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

As governments in the U.S. and around the globe impose more restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19, an emergency health expert says locking down societies alone isn't enough.

“What we really need to focus on is finding those who are sick, those who have the virus, and isolate them, find their contacts and isolate them,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program.

“If we don’t put in place the strong public health measures now, when those movement restrictions and lockdowns are lifted, the danger is the disease will jump back up,” Ryan said in an interview Sunday on the BBC’s “Andrew Marr Show.”

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The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus topped 329,000 on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins. More than 14,375 deaths have been recorded.

The U.S. has at least 32,081 cases and 400 deaths.

Latest Developments

United States:

-The Department of Defense announced Sunday that 111 members of the military have tested positive for coronavirus. In addition, 32 civilian employees, 37 dependents and 31 contractors also have tested positive.

-Utah reported its first death related to COVID-19. The Davis County man over the age of 60 had underlying health problems. He had been at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful for two days before his death.

-Louisiana's Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an executive order Sunday closing all non-essential businesses in the state and telling residents to "stay at home unless they are performing an essential activity," such as buying food or medicine, going to a doctor's office or traveling to and from work.

-Gov. Mike DeWine on Sunday said Ohio residents will be under a "stay-at-home order" from 11:59 p.m. Monday until April 6, cleveland.com reported. The order allows people to leave their home to pick up essential supplies and to go outside to remain active or walk a dog. It also closes certain nonessential businesses.

-Delaware Gov. John Carney issued a stay at home order Sunday that takes effect at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

-Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has tested positive for COVID-19. A tweet on Sunday said he has no symptoms and is in quarantine. Rand was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person. Senators said they will seek medical advice after learning that Paul had been in the gym with colleagues Sunday morning and had sat close to others during Senate lunches in recent days.

-Utah's Republican Sen. Mike Lee said the attending physician of Congress has recommended that Lee self-quarantine for 14 days because of his contact with Sen. Rand Paul. "That means no travel or voting," Lee said in a statement.

-Negotiators indicated late Saturday that an agreement was close on the coronavirus economic package. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, other Senate leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are expected to discuss the plan at 11 a.m. ET Sunday before a procedural vote later in the afternoon.

-In an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," Mnuchin said the bill, which could wind up costing trillions, includes direct deposits that could be about $3,000 for the average family of four; enhanced unemployment insurance, and small business loans to provide two weeks of cash flow.

-New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that his city is in desperate need of ventilators and other medical supplies and staff. He lambasted the White House as non-responsive. He said he has asked "repeatedly" for the U.S. military to mobilize, and has heard nothing. Later on CNN, de Blasio said, "We're about 10 days away now from seeing widespread shortages of ventilators, surgical masks, the things necessary to keep a hospital system running. ... If we don’t get more ventilators in the next 10-days people will die.”

-New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday that his state is desperate for more face masks and other personal protective equipment and is not getting nearly what it needs from the federal government. “We've had a big ask into the strategic stockpile in the White House. They've given us a fraction of our ask,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”

-President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday morning, "Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST!"

-Five students from the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida, tested positive for the coronavirus after traveling together and with other UT students for spring break, university officials announced.

-All grocers and retail stores in New Hampshire have been ordered to use single-use paper or plastic bags because reusable bags could pose a risk of transmission of the coronavirus. “With identified community transmission, it is important that shoppers keep their reusable bags at home given the potential risk to baggers, grocers and customers," Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement.

-Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, tested negative for the coronavirus, the vice president's press secretary, Katie Miller, tweeted Saturday night. Pence had announced earlier Saturday that he and his wife would be tested after a member of his staff had tested positive for the virus.

-Nashville's Mayor John Cooper "announced a 14-day Safer at Home Order." In a tweet, he said residents should stay in their homes, except to go out for essential needs. He also ordered all businesses not doing essential business to close for 14 days.

-Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Sunday that prohibits social gatherings of 10 or more people and orders restaurants and bars to close dining rooms and offer take-out or delivery only. Establishments can sell alcohol for take-out or delivery with the purchase of food. Gyms are also closed. Visits to nursing homes are restricted to essential care only.

-So many people are ignoring social distancing rules to see the cherry blossoms, officials in Washington, D.C., are blocking traffic in the westernmost part of the National Mall between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. They are also asking pedestrians to stay away.

Worldwide:

-Canada's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose to 19 on Sunday, a jump of almost 50% in less than a day, according to the federal government. The number of confirmed cases rose to 1,302 from 1,099.

-Italy recorded another 651 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 5,476. New infections rose by 10% to more than 59,000. The head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency, Angelo Borrelli, noted that the increases had narrowed from recent days, adding ‘’we hope that this trend can be confirmed in the coming days. We should not lower our guard.’’

-Earlier, CNN had reported that about 9% of Italy's infections are among health care workers. Italy’s National Health Institute said 4,826 health care workers in Italy have been infected by the coronavirus. According to a list from Italy’s National Federation of Surgeons and Dentists, 18 doctors have died because of COVID-19 since March 11. It is unclear if each of the doctors listed was directly battling the coronavirus outbreak and treating the infected.

-Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to extend his country's state of emergency on Sunday as the number of new coronavirus infections continues to soar. The country's health ministry said on Sunday that another 394 people had died in just the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed fatalities to 1,720. Almost 25,000 cases have been reported in total, with a drastic spike of 5,000 new cases reported on Saturday.

-Instead of a nationwide lockdown, Germany has banned gatherings of more than two people. Calling the move a "contact ban," Chancellor Angela Merkel said the two people must keep a minimum distance of 5 to 6 feet. Anyone meeting in groups could be sanctioned. The rule does not apply to families ore people living together. Merkel also shut down restaurants, hair salons and tattoo shops.

-Immediately after her announcement, Merkel entered quarantine because she was in contact with a doctor on Friday who later tested positive for the coronavirus, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

-“The numbers are very stark, and they are accelerating. We are only a matter of weeks — two or three — behind Italy,” U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement Sunday. “Unless we act together, unless we make the heroic and collective national effort to slow the spread – then it is all too likely that our own NHS will be similarly overwhelmed." The U.K. has more than 5,000 cases.

-The total number of coronavirus cases in Thailand has reached 599 after a jump of 188 cases on Sunday, health officials said.

-In Australia, pubs, athletic facilities, entertainment venues and places of worship must shut down beginning Monday. Restaurants will be restricted to delivery and takeout services. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he saw disregard for social distancing in many places, including the beaches. Outdoor activities with more than 500 people and indoor events with more than 100 have been canceled.

-Opera tenor Plácido Domingo announced Sunday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Domingo, 79, said he and his family are in self-isolation and he is feeling well despite having fever and a cough.

-Twenty-three prisoners died and 83 were injured in a riot overnight at La Modelo jail in Bogota, Colombia, and several other penitentiaries. The inmates claim poor conditions at the prisons will spread the coronavirus. Seven employees were hurt, including two critically.

-The International Olympic Committee executive board announced Sunday that canceling the 2020 Tokyo Games is not an option, but the group will take four weeks to weigh options for the games. One option is a delay until later this year or in 2021.