US Scientists Say COVID Particles Can Spread as Much as 4.8 Meters from the Infected

U.S. scientists say they have isolated infectious particles of the coronavirus as much as 4.8 meters away from hospitalized patients.The scientists said the widely accepted 2-meter distance advised to observe social distancing provides a “false sense of security” and could result in large groups of people being exposed to the disease. The study, conducted at the university of Florida Health Shands Hospital, has not been peer reviewed.A saliva test to detect COVID-19 that was developed by Yale and paid for by the NBA won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval Saturday for emergency use.SalivaDirect, the fifth saliva test approved by the FDA for the disease, uses spit from people who think they have the coronavirus, People make their way along The Strip, the University of Alabama’s bar scene, Aug. 15, 2020, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. More than 20,000 students returned to campus for the first time since spring break.The decline, which occurred after months of increases in testing, may be linked to fewer people seeking tests as confirmed cases have leveled off following spikes this summer and people opting out of testing because of long wait times and delays in getting results.As of Sunday morning, there were more than 21 million COVID-19 cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 5.3 million cases were in the U.S., followed by Brazil, with 3.3 million.India said early Sunday it had 63,490 new reports of COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period, with 944 deaths.India’s has recorded more than 2.5 million infections and almost 50,000 deaths from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.Texas, one of the Sunbelt states hit hard by the coronavirus, has seen its average daily test number fall nearly 9% since the end of July, according to The COVID Tracking Project.While Texas has made some progress against the outbreak, deaths remain high, an average or more than 210 a day in the past 14 days, and the rolling average of people who test positive for the coronavirus is 16%. That positivity rate could be a sign that not enough tests are being done. A rate of less than 10% is one indicator of robust testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.A visitor wearing a face mask walks near a banner showing precautions against the coronavirus at the Gyeongbok Palace, one of South Korea’s well-known landmarks, in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 16, 2020.In South Korea, more stringent social distancing restrictions were announced Saturday in Seoul and surrounding areas, where coronavirus cases have surged following successful efforts contain its spread. Beginning Sunday, nightclubs, movie theaters and other high-risk places will be closed if they do not enforce preventive measures.In Spain, dozens of people in Barcelona’s Torre Baro community were tested for COVID-19 Saturday after a spike in cases in the working-class neighborhood. Health officials hope to identify asymptomatic cases in hard-hit areas to break any chains of transmission.Also, in Italy, the cruise ship MSC Grandiosa will begin a voyage to the Mediterranean on Sunday, after it and four other cruise ships were idled by the coronavirus pandemic in Civitavecchia, one of the world’s busiest ports.The five ships can hold a total of 26,000 people. The four other ships will also resume operations soon, positioning Italy as the epicenter of an effort to resume cruises worldwide.
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