The Arkansas Department of Health reported six new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Union County for the second day in a row Thursday, bringing the cumulative number of cases identified locally to 464.
Of those, 365 were considered recovered, an increase of six from Wednesday. Active cases have remained at 82 since Tuesday, as the number of new cases and recoveries have been equal for the past two days. Active cases represented 17.67% of the cumulative number of cases in the county Thursday.
The ADH updated the criteria for recovery at long-term care and congregate living facilities Thursday to reflect when residents may discontinue transmission-based precautions, according to an ADH spokesperson. Recoveries are no longer listed on the congregate living settings report produced on week days by the ADH.
According to the new version of the report distributed Thursday, active COVID-19 cases were present at Advanced Health and Rehab of Union County, where three workers have reportedly tested positive; Timberlane Health and Rehab, where six workers have reportedly tested positive, along with one resident who has died as a result of the virus; and Community Living Arrangements, where nine residents and four workers have reportedly tested positive.
Courtyard Healthcare and Rehabilitation is listed among nursing homes where COVID-19 cases had previously been identified but where no active cases remain on the report. At the height of the outbreak at Courtyard, 35 residents had tested positive, seven of whom died as a result of the virus, along with 22 workers who tested positive.
No new local deaths attributable to the virus were reported on Thursday. Seventeen Union County residents have died as a result of COVID-19.
The ADH reported 37 new negative test results returned from Union County Thursday, indicating a local one-day positivity rate of 13.95% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 4,699 COVID-19 tests have returned from Union County, with 4,235 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 9.87%.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arkansas grew by 735 to reach 47,028 on Thursday. Of those, 39,555 were considered recovered, leaving 6,958 cases — 14.79% of the cumulative number of cases — active statewide.
Seven Arkansans’ deaths that were a result of the virus were reported Thursday, bringing the state’s death toll to 515, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.09%. There was a net decrease of two in the number of Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Thursday, leaving a total of 514 in the hospital; and there were five more Arkansans on ventilator support Thursday than there were Wednesday for a total of 111.
Dr. Joe Thompson, president and chief executive officer for the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, said in a live stream with State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Randy Zook Thursday that data shows COVID-19 can cause lasting health impacts, including structural heart damage, even for those who recover from the virus.
“When they did an imaging of their heart, it had dilation of their muscular cells and chambers. It wasn’t squeezing as much as it normally would,” Thompson explained, adding that 78 of 100 COVID patients evidenced that type of damage to their hearts.
Thompson encouraged Arkansans to wear face coverings, saying that there is a growing body of evidence that masks can help protect not only those around the wearer from the virus, but the wearer as well.
“I think there’s growing evidence that … the mask helps prevent you from getting the load of the virus you otherwise would,” he said, explaining that while the masks don’t offer 100% protection from the virus to wearers, evidence suggests they may decrease the severity of a person’s potential infection.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state epidemiologist, encouraged all Arkansans who are recommended to to get a flu shot this year during a press conference with ADH Secretary Dr. Jose Romero on Thursday.
“This year it will be especially important to get a flu shot, and this is mainly for two reasons: one, you don’t want to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time; and the second reason is that getting a flu vaccination can go a long way in decreasing your chances of ending up in the hospital,” she said.
Dillaha said the flu vaccination should become available next month, and the ADH will offer drive-through vaccination clinics starting September 21. The following week, the vaccination will be made available at schools, she said, and local pharmacies and health clinics should also be offering the flu shot at that time.
Romero said the state performed 4,514 COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, making 27,998 total tests performed so far in August. Of the tests performed Wednesday, 1,137 samples were tested by the ADH public health lab, which he said is steadily increasing its testing capacity. The state’s positivity rate Thursday was 8.6%, he said.
Since the state began testing for COVID-19, 544,363 total tests have been reported to the ADH, with 497,335 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 8.63%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there were 4,876,790 COVID-19 cases in the United States at 6:45 p.m. Thursday. Of those, 1,598,624 were considered recovered, leaving 3,117,176 cases — 63.91% — active nationwide. There had been 159,990 deaths attributable to the virus in the U.S. by Thursday afternoon, indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 3.28%.
Johns Hopkins reported 18,986,629 COVID-19 cases worldwide Thursday afternoon. Of those, 11,477,834 were considered recovered, leaving 6,796,461 cases — 35.79% — active around the world. There had been 712,334 deaths attributable to the virus by Thursday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 3.75%.