Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

More than 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 are being reported daily as new hotspots emerge in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Mideast.

Brazil's Health Ministry reported another 1,349 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the largest 24-hour increase to the country's coronavirus death toll since its outbreak began, according to The Associated Press. Brazil has reported about 32,500 deaths from the virus. The country also has more than 580,000 confirmed cases, more than any other country except the U.S.

Peru has more than 178,000 confirmed cases, and Chile has reported more than 113,000 cases.

Mexico also logged a daily record of new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday: 3,912. With more than 101,200 cases, Mexico became the 14th country to climb above 100,000 cases.

In Africa, Egypt has seen the number of cases rising significantly. The number of confirmed cases has climbed above 28,600. South Africa has the most cases on the continent with more than 37,500.

Cyclone Amphan exacerbated problems when it roared ashore late last month on the border of India and Bangladesh. India has recorded more than 218,000 cases of COVID-19, while the number of confirmed cases in Bangladesh has climbed above 57,500.

Pakistan's total number of confirmed coronavirus cases — 85,264 — surpassed the number in neighboring China.

Worldwide, the total number of infections has reached more than 6.6 million and nearly 387,900 people have died. The U.S. has recorded 1.9 million cases and more than 107,685 deaths.

Meanwhile, three of the authors of a study that said COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were more likely to die or develop dangerous side effects have retracted their study, according to The Lancet medical journal.

The authors were unable to complete an independent audit of the data underpinning their analysis. As a result, they have concluded that they "can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources," the authors said. Some people had pointed to the study as a counterpoint to President Donald Trump's claims that hydroxychloroquine was a “game-changer.”

Other studies also found patients infected with the coronavirus did not benefit from treatment with hydroxychloroquine, and they may have experienced serious side effects because of it.

Latest Developments

United States:

-Dallas County, Texas, on Tuesday reported a record single-day number of both new COVID-19 cases and deaths, according to the Dallas Morning News. The county, the eighth most populated in the U.S., had 257 new cases 16 additional deaths.

-People gathering to protest police brutality after the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody should be tested for COVID-19, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said Thursday, according to CNN. “We really want those individuals to highly consider being evaluated and get tested,” Redfield said at a House Appropriations hearing on coronavirus. “I do think there is a potential, unfortunately for this to be a seeding event." Redfield also said health officials are "very concerned that our public health message isn't resonating," after photos of a Memorial Day crowd at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri were shown at the hearing.

-Health experts say using tear gas, pepper spray or other respiratory irritants to disperse protesters could fuel the spread of coronavirus, the Los Angeles Times reported. The irritants cause people to cough, yell and scream, which can spread droplets through the air, and also lead them to remove protective face coverings, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and an infectious diseases specialist at UC San Francisco, told the Times.

-Unrelated to his deaths or the protests, Floyd tested positive for the coronavirus, an autopsy by the Hennepin County medical examiner found. He had the virus in early April, the medical examiner said, and the positive test during the autopsy was likely a lasting result from that previous infection.

-Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that entertainment venues including aquariums, museums, country clubs, indoor family entertainment centers and movie theaters can reopen starting June 10, with social distancing and other guidelines in place.

-About 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, according to figures from the U.S. Labor Department. The total number of people who are receiving jobless aid rose slightly to 21.5 million, down from a peak of nearly 25 million two weeks ago, but still at a historically high level, AP reported.

-At least 70 community coronavirus testing sites across the country have had to close because of destruction from civil unrest, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services figures showed.

Worldwide:

-France has canceled its annual Bastille Day military parade down the Champs-Élysées avenue. Instead, officials will host an adapted ceremony at the Place de la Concorde on July 14. The traditional flyover is still set to take place but will be used to honor the fight against COVID-19, The Washington Post reported.

-Britain's Prince Charles, who tested positive for the new coronavirus in March, told Sky News he was “lucky” that he “got away quite lightly.” He added that his experience has made him even more determined to fight climate change and the loss of biodiversity to avoid future pandemics. “We should have been treating the planet as if it was a patient long ago,” he said.

For the latest coronavirus information in your county and a full list of important resources to help you make the smartest decisions regarding the disease, check out our dedicated COVID-19 page.

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