Coronavirus Watch: How is the coronavirus hijacking our bodies?

How is the coronavirus hijacking our bodies?

Startling images published this week show how the virus invades proteins in our cells to create monstrous tentacles that branch out and may transmit infection to neighboring cells.

"The virus is able to rewire all of the signals going on inside the cell," one researcher said. "That's really remarkable and it's something that occurs very rapidly," as soon as two hours after cells are infected.

It's Saturday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's the most significant news of the day, as of 2:15 p.m. ET:

• Today's numbers: The U.S. reported 45,255 new cases Friday – the second day of record high increases. More than 2.4 million people have tested positive for the virus in the U.S., and more than 125,000 have died. See the numbers in your area here.
• Worldwide, more than 9.8 million people have tested positive for the virus, and more than 495,000 have died. Cases continue to rise in the Americas, Russia and India.
• Beaches in Miami-Dade County will be closed over Fourth of July weekend, officials announced Friday, amid a surge in cases in Florida.
• California's governor is urging one county to reinstate its stay-at-home order amid a surge in positive coronavirus tests there and through much of the state.
• A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of children held with their parents in U.S. immigration jails and denounced the Trump administration’s prolonged detention of families during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Stocks capped a volatile week with steep losses Friday as cases in the U.S. surged.
• The White House Coronavirus Task Force held its first public briefing in nearly two months Friday and urged young adults to follow public health guidance for containing the outbreak.

Do you have questions about the coronavirus? You can submit them through this form, and we'll answer them. Rebecca from Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, asks: Who is most at risk for COVID-19?

This week, the CDC updated and expanded its list of who is at increased risk for getting severely ill from COVID-19. The CDC now warns that among adults, risk increases steadily as you age, and it’s not just those over the age of 65 who are at increased risk for severe illness. 

Additional underlying medical conditions that increase risk of severe illness include: chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, weakened immune system from solid organ transplant, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease and type 2 diabetes

Amid the surge of cases across the country this week, there's also been a slew of new medical findings and guidance. Here's a recap of what we learned this week:

• Can the coronavirus cause diabetes? Scientists around the globe are now researching the connection and creating a registry to track similar cases.
• Infants and young children are rapidly catching the coronavirus and increasingly ending up in the hospital this month, according to an analysis of data from the Florida Department of Health.
• Severe cases of COVID-19 may be linked to brain complications, according to the first nationwide survey of the neurological complications of the disease.
• Pregnant women may be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant women, CDC says.

As always, thank you for subscribing! We appreciate you trusting the Paste BN Network with this important information.

– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck