Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

More than 8.2 million people worldwide are known to have been infected with COVID-19 as countries around the globe report new spikes in cases and several U.S. states see record numbers of hospitalizations.

More than 2.1 million cases, or about one-fourth of all cases worldwide, are in the United States, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University. At least 446,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus worldwide, including more than 117,000 in the U.S.

Latest Developments

United States:

-New York City could move to the next level of reopening as soon as Monday if there isn't another increase in cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters. More than 21,000 residents have died from the disease in the city, according to the New York Times.

-Face masks will become a requirement for everyone inside the Little Rock city limits, mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced.

-A new study says that flushing a toilet can release droplets that could carry coronavirus as far as three feet into the air, where they could potentially linger long enough to be inhaled by the next user, or land on frequently touched surfaces. The study was published Tuesday in the journal Physics of Fluids.

-Ford Motor Co. is giving 30,000 U.S. employees the option to work from home until at least the end of the year. The employees can choose full-time at-home work, returning to the office full time or a blended schedule of both, the Detroit Free Press reported. The company is also evaluating the possibility of downsizing some of its office space.

-Movie theater chain Cinemark plans to have all of its more than 500 locations nationwide reopened by July 17. Classic titles and reduced concession prices will be featured at first, and social distancing measures including staggered showtimes will be in place, according to a news release from the company. The company says moviegoers will be "strongly encouraged to wear face masks."

(MORE: Five Employees Test Positive at NOAA Hurricane Hunter Base in Florida)

-Health officials in Pennsylvania are asking a court to issue an injunction against an auto show this week in Carlisle due to public health concerns when large crowds are gathered. “When individuals choose to ignore those safeguards — such as by holding an event anticipating 100,000 attendees — they put the lives of Pennsylvanians at risk and threaten to reverse the significant progress that has been made to resolve this crisis. That dangerous conduct must be stopped before it can occur,” lawyers for the health department said, according to The Associated Press.

-To promote social distancing among its employees, Amazon is testing a wearable device that will beep and emit a flashing light when warehouse workers are too close to each other, CNBC reported. The device is being tested at an Amazon warehouse in Kent, Washington.

-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tested negative for COVID-19, press secretary Freddi Goldstein said Wednesday. The mayor was feeling unwell earlier in the week.

Worldwide:

-The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, has tested positive for COVID-19. Hernández said in an announcement late Tuesday that the first lady and two aides had also tested positive. The president said he will be working from home until he recovers.

-More than 60% of flights to Beijing were canceled Wednesday as China raised its emergency warning to the second-highest level. China declared victory over COVID-19 in March, but new outbreaks in the capital city have officials worried about a resurgence of the pandemic, the AP reported. “This has truly rung an alarm bell for us,” Party Secretary Cai Qi told a meeting of Beijing's Communist Party Standing Committee.

-More than 400 people at a meatpacking plant in western Germany tested positive for COVID-19. In response, officials closed all schools and childcare centers in the western region of Guetersloh.

-A government minister in Australia said the country will likely keep its borders closed until at least the start of next year, the Washington Post reported.

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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