Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen in at least nine states since Memorial Day.

The increases come as more than a dozen states are reporting their highest seven-day average number of new cases since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Washington Post.

The nine states are Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Oregon, Arkansas, Mississippi, Utah and Arizona. Most of the spike in numbers came in the past couple of weeks.

Texas, for example, has reported two consecutive days of record hospitalizations, and a 36% increase in overall cases since Memorial Day, the Post reported. Wednesday brought a third straight day of record numbers of people being treated in Texas hospitals for COVID-19, according to WFAA-TV.

An official with Banner Health, a group of hospitals in Arizona, said last week that intensive care units at the company's facilities in Maricopa County were nearing maximum capacity due to an influx of coronavirus patients.

The data indicates that the increase in cases in 14 states and Puerto Rico are not solely due to increased testing, acording to the Post.

Worldwide, the total number of known infections has reached more than 7.2 million and at least 411,681 people have died, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has recorded nearly 2 million cases and more than 112,000 deaths.

Latest Developments

United States:

-The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Wednesday that a 9-month-old baby believed to have died of COVID-19 in Chicago in March had the disease, the Chicago Sun Times reported. At the time, the death was reported was the first infant to succumb to the novel coronavirus. Others have been reported since, but deaths among babies are still rare.

-Disney Parks released more details on hotel operations at its Orlando area theme parks. The company said in a statement that Disney Resort Hotels will reopen with enhanced cleaning standards in rooms and public areas, options for contactless check-in and other social distancing measures including the possibility of limited capacity at pools and other on-site amenities. Disney plans to reopen its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.

-The New York Philharmonic has canceled its fall concert season due to the pandemic. The orchestra hopes to resume live performances in January.

-Consumer spending in the U.S., a key indicator of the economy, dropped by a record 13.6% in April. The plunge came as fallout from the coronavirus pandemic decimated businesses and jobs nationwide. The decline in spending was nearly double the drop in March, which was the worst on record dating back to 1959, according to The Associated Press.

-Several summer events in Chicago are canceled, including the annual Lollapalooza concert, the air and water show and the city’s jazz festival, according to a news release from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

-The border between the U.S. and Canada will remain closed to nonessential travel until late July, Reuters reported. Current border restrictions were due to be lifted June 21.

-The families of two people who died of COVID-19 in a Florida nursing home are suing the facility, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The lawsuits allege that Seminole Pavilion Rehabilitation and Nursing Services in Pinellas County, Florida, did not have proper infection control measures in place and did not adequately communicate the extent of a coronavirus outbreak among residents. The elderly, especially those in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of long-term care facilities account for 43% of Florida's 2,765 COVID-19 deaths, the Times reported.

-Health officials in North Carolina have ordered a race track in Alamance County to close because it isn't following the governor's order banning most gatherings over 25 people, WXII-TV reported. Ace Speedway has been holding races for several weeks. Health officials declared it an "imminent hazard" for spreading coronavirus. Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson says the speedway is being unfairly singled out and has refused to cite the owners.

Worldwide:

-The United Kingdom now has the second highest number of deaths in the world behind the U.S. At least 40,968 people have died from COVID-19 in the UK and more than 290,500 have been infected.

-Authorities in Indonesia have arrested dozens of people accused of taking the bodies of relatives who died of COVID-19 from local hospitals in order to bury them in accordance with religious and cultural traditions, the AP reported. Videos of several incidents have been posted on social media, including one where a mob can be seen breaking into a hospital isolation room and taking a body out on a stretcher. Indonesia’s Health Ministry reported 1,241 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the country's highest single-day increase. The numbers include 36 people additional deaths. Overall, Indonesia has reported more than 34,000 cases and at least 1,959 deaths.

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.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.