New COVID-19 cases in Virginia passed the 20,000 mark, according to data released by the Virginia Department of Health Tuesday.
A new visualization of the data from the health department, however, shows the curve of infections may indeed be flattening.
The health department reported 764 new cases Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 20,256. The number of new cases has been trending down since Friday's record of 1,055.
The health department began highlighting a new display of case data on its website Tuesday. When new cases are displayed based on when the illness or symptoms began, rather than the date a test result was reported to the database, there's an obvious flattening of the 7-day average beginning in the last week of April. In a data briefing with reporters Monday, health officials say displaying the data this way gives a more accurate snapshot of the situation because there is often a lag in the reporting of test results. In his Monday news conference, Governor Ralph Northam said restrictions on businesses and gatherings had done their job and flattened the curve of infection.
5,150 new test results were also reported to the state database, bringing the state's total to 127, 938. That's in line with recent averages of about 5,000 test results per day, but still well below the 10,000 test target set by state officials.
29 additional deaths were reported Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 713.
COVID-19 cases in the Roanoke region
About two-thirds of the cases of COVID-19 in the Roanoke region are connected to seven identified outbreaks.
Doctor Molly O’Dell said those outbreaks, especially in long-term care facilities, have driven the overall numbers higher in the Roanoke City-Alleghany Health District. But she also said the move toward restarting some business activity next week is not a reason to let down your guard. "This foe does not stop," O'Dell said in a weekly conference call with reporters. "It is working. There’s no down time. And we’ve got to continue social distancing even if some businesses are open."
O’Dell said Tuesday that much of the public health testing in the district that includes the Roanoke and Covington areas is being prioritized for long-term care facilities. There are at least 241 positive cases in the district, according to O'Dell. (Note: Data posted to the VDH dashboard may lag behind data maintained at the district level, O'Dell says.)
UVA Health convalescent plasma treatment
UVA Health is launching a clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 treatment.
It involves using plasma from individuals who have recovered from the virus to help those currently infected develop antibodies. Similar procedures have been used successfully against other coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS.
The health system says inpatients who have tested positive for the virus will be offered an opportunity to participate in the trial.
Editor's Note: The University of Virginia is a financial supporter of RADIO IQ.
