Coronavirus Watch: Mandatory flu vaccinations in Massachusetts
There's even more evidence that children may play a larger role in community spread of the coronavirus than previously thought.
Kids with COVID-19 may seem healthy, but these "silent spreaders" may be more contagious than sick adults, according to a new study published Thursday.
"During this COVID-19 pandemic, we mainly screened symptomatic subjects, so we have reached the erroneous conclusion that the vast majority of people infected are adults," said Dr. Alessio Fasano, the study's senior author. "We should not discount children as potential spreaders for this virus."
It's Thursday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here is the most significant news of the day, as of 12:30 p.m. ET:
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, underwent surgery Thursday to removed a polyp from his vocal cord that had been causing hoarseness, media reports said.
- Mandatory flu vaccinations? Massachusetts public health officials announced Wednesday that the flu vaccine will be required for all students 6 months or older who are attending child care, pre-school, kindergarten, grade school and colleges or universities.
- On Russia's vaccine claim: World Health Organization officials in Europe said they have begun discussions with Russia concerning the potential COVID-19 vaccine the country recently approved.
- Rising cases in Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp defended his administration’s handling of the pandemic Wednesday after a report from the White House coronavirus task force said Georgia led the nation last week in new cases per capita.
- Reopening in Arizona: The state's Department of Health Services has given the OK for dozens of gyms, bars and theaters to reopen after reviewing their plans to limit the spread of COVID-19 at their businesses.
- Airbnb announced a global ban on parties and events at Airbnb listings, with an occupancy cap of 16 people worldwide.
- About 1.1 million Americans filed first-time applications for unemployment insurance, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from 971,000 the prior week. A mind-boggling 57.3 million workers now have filed for unemployment over the past 22 weeks. Before the pandemic, the previous all-time high for weekly claims was 695,000 during a recession in 1982.
Today's numbers: One of the hardest-hit states from the coronavirus, Florida, has surpassed 10,000 deaths. The U.S. has more than 5.5 million confirmed infections and more than 173,000 deaths. Worldwide, there have been more than 788,000 deaths and 22.4 million cases. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.
What do you want to know about the coronavirus? Submit your questions through this form. Betty from Muncie, Indiana, asks: Is a headache a sign of the coronavirus?
There are at least 11 symptoms of COVID-19 – the disease caused by the novel coronavirus – including headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other possible symptoms include: fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
The CDC has been continuously updating this list as new evidence emerges.
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– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck