Science

Alabama’s COVID-19 New Case, Death Averages Mixed Over Previous Week

The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama is staying fairly level while the death rate is drifting downward slightly as the pandemic enters its seventh month. BirminghamWatch’s weekly analysis of data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health shows the 7-day moving average of new cases for the period ending Wednesday stands at 959.57 per day, down from 1,076.86 cases per day on Sept. 30. The longer 14-day average has stayed relatively steady and is now at 1,018.93, an increase of more than 38 cases per day over the past week. Read more.

Daily COVID-19 Count Reaches Highest Number So Far This Week

Alabama's COVID-19 case count grew by 941 on Wednesday, the biggest daily total so far this week, according to the state Department of Public Health's dashboard. There have been 161,418 cases of the disease in the state since the pandemic began in March. The total includes 142,292 confirmed cases and 19,126 listed as probable. Previously this week, the daily totals of new cases were 789 on Sunday, 544 on Monday and 764 on Tuesday. The Health Department's daily update showed 24 new deaths, including seven in Mobile County, to push the state's total to 2,601. That includes 2,454 confirmed as being from COVID-19 and 147 shown as probable. Read more.

Back to School: Metro Districts Moving From Virtual to Face-to-Face Instruction

As metro Birmingham school systems learn to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, many of them are changing back to traditional class schedules, or at least something closer to it. In general, many systems that began with only virtual learning to start the year already have moved toward allowing students back on campus, at least part time. The Jefferson County School System, for instance, is in the midst of a staggered plan to get students back to school in person full time. Others plan to reassess their schedules at the end of the first nine-week grading period, late this month. Read more and look up your school district.

UAB Looking for a Variety of Patients for COVID-19 Clinical Trials

Infectious disease doctors at UAB said Tuesday they’re still looking for COVID-19 patients to join a number of clinical trials. Currently, UAB is offering both inpatient and outpatient trials ranging from vaccines to treatments aimed at lessening the effects of the virus. Dr. Sonya Heath, a professor of medicine in UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases,

764 New Cases, 21 Deaths Reported in COVID-19 Update

There were 764 new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama, along 21 deaths, the state Department of Public Health reported Tuesday in its daily update. The state has experienced 160,477 cases of the disease since the pandemic began in March. That includes 141,477 confirmed cases and 18,923 listed as probable. The death toll rose to 2,580, with 2,436 confirmed and 144 shown as probable. There was a slight uptick in the number of people hospitalized for the 24-hour period ending on Monday, when there were 791 people in hospitals around the state with COVID-19. That was the highest for the past seven days, when the daily totals ranged from 735 to 774. Read more.

Alabama COVID-19 Cases Near 160,000

Alabama added 544 cases of coronavirus to its total this morning and one death. Read more.

789 New Cases of COVID-19, No Additional Deaths in Alabama

There were 789 new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama but no new deaths during the latest 24-hour counting period, the state Department of Public Health reported Sunday. Alabama has recorded 140,445 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 18,724 probable cases for a total of 159,169, the agency reported in its daily update. The number of cases has grown by 6,848 since last Sunday for an average of 978 cases per day. The daily average has been 959 cases over the past month. The death toll from COVID-19 remained at 2,558 in Sunday's report.  Read more.

Drug Being Used to Treat Trump Was Developed at UAB

Remdesivir, the drug being used to treat President Trump for COVID-19, was developed at UAB several years ago under a federal drug-discovery grant. The drug proved tried as a method to fight Ebola but proved ineffective. In the spring, scientists tested it against the novel coronavirus, and it showed early positive results. It was approved for use in hospitalized patients being treated for COVID-19. The president was given his second dose of the five-day remdesivir protocol on Saturday. Read the story BirminghamWatch wrote about the drug when it began to show promise this spring.

UAB Drug Remdesivir Is First to Block the COVID-19 Virus, May Become Standard of Care. Fauci “Optimistic.”

Alabama’s COVID-19 Total Rises by 1,682 Cases in Saturday Report

The number of COVID-19 cases in Alabama grew by 1,682 in Saturday's daily update by the state Department of Public Health. There have been 158,380 cases since the pandemic began in March, including 139,726 confirmed cases and 18,654 listed as probable. The state has averaged 891 new cases a day over the past two weeks. The new report included eight deaths for the 24-hour period. Alabama has recorded 2,558 deaths, including 2,416 confirmed and 142 listed as probable. Read more.

Trump’s Positive Test Proves COVID-19 Can Affect Anyone, UAB Doctor Says

The news of President Donald Trump’s positive test result Thursday night shows that the COVID-19 virus is not a respecter of persons or position, according to a specialist in infectious diseases for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “If one of the most powerful leaders in the world is susceptible to COVID and its consequences, that’s incredibly sobering and sad, and I’m very sorry it happened,” said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who works in UAB’s Division of Infectious Diseases. Speaking Friday in the school’s regular online news conference about the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and its effects, Marrazzo said, “I really, really hope that it perhaps makes some people who might have dismissed COVID and haven’t experienced the personal effects of it sit up and pay attention, because you can prevent yourself, protect yourself, protect yourself and your family and your community by doing the things that we have been boringly and endlessly repeating every single time we get together, which is wearing a mask, social distancing and hand hygiene.” Read more.