Immune To COVID? New Study Suggests Why

Millions of Chinese tourists are flocking to areas in and around Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus pandemic first started late last year.

Videos and photos this week showed thousands packed into a pool party during a music festival. Most weren't wearing masks, and social distancing appeared nonexistent.

It's a stark difference from just a few months ago, when the city of 11 million was on a strict lockdown that restricted residents from leaving their homes and forbade almost anyone from entering or exiting the city.

(MORE: Coronavirus Plus Flu Season: Get Your Flu Shot ASAP, Experts Advise)

The lockdown was lifted in April. China has reported sporadic outbreaks since. Efforts to resume regular life include welcoming visitors back to Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located.

More than 2.7 million tourists flooded into the province in just the past week, the South China Morning Post reported. All are required to undergo health checks.

They're being enticed by free admission to more than 400 attractions, although many are not operating at full capacity. Several festivals and special events are planned for the fall.

China has reported nearly 90,000 cases of COVID-19 and 4,706 deaths, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University, though many public health experts believe those numbers don't reflect the true scope of cases and deaths in the country. Most of the infections were in Hubei Province.

For months, China had more cases than any other country in the world. Now, it ranks 32nd.

Worldwide, more than 22 million people have been confirmed to have the disease and more than 781,000 have died. About one-fourth of those cases are in the U.S., where more than 5.4 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 and nearly 172,000 have died from the disease.

Latest Developments

United States:

-Some 2,500 wrestlers from 40 states, plus the same number of spectators, are expected to attend the Rocky Mountain Nationals tournament in Kansas City Aug. 21-23 despite warnings about large gatherings, the Washington Post reported. "You could hardly design a better super-spreader event," tweeted Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University.

-Only one in seven parents surveyed nationwide by the New York Times said their children would return to school full-time this fall. The survey found that parents feel they have no choice but to go it alone when it comes to educating their kids this year, even as they juggle full-time jobs.

-A Washington Post survey found that 62% of parents don't think schools should reopen right now. Some 19% think schools should reopen, while another 19% said they were undecided.

-The AJC Peachtree Road Race, dubbed the world's largest 10K, will be a virtual race this year, the Atlanta Track Club said in an announcement Wednesday. The race, usually run on July 4, was already postponed until Thanksgiving Day. The event typically draws 60,000 runners and as many as 100,000 spectators.

-The University of Connecticut evicted several students from on-campus housing after a crowded dorm-room party, according to the Associated Press. Video of the party was posted to social media.

-Drake University in Des Moines banned 14 students from campus for two weeks because they violated coronavirus guidelines, which include restrictions for on- and off-campus gatherings, KCCI-TV reported.

Worldwide:

-The Australian government signed a deal with UK-based drug company AstraZeneca to secure 25 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine would be administered for free to every Australian, according to a news release Wednesday from Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The deal is contingent upon successful testing of the vaccine, which was developed at Oxford University and is now in Stage 3 trials.

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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