COVID-19 Email Update - December 10, 2020

A Message From Dr. Rebecca Wartman, NCOS Third Party Liaison

COVID-19 in the US 

As of 7 am this morning, these were the COVID-19 numbers in the US.



Calculations are by Knowhere staff, using data from the COVID Tracking Project.


COVID-19 Results Briefing: The United States of America

Dr. Rebecca Wartman Comment: COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in the US. This report has MANY interesting data points worth reviewing. 

This document contains summary information on the latest projections from the IHME model on COVID-19 in the United States of America. The model was run on December 03, 2020.


Click here for more information.

COVID-19 in NC



COVID-19 County Alert

Red counties have more than doubled from the November 23rd County Alert, up to 48 from 20 counties. Orange counties are at 34 as compared to 42 counties in the last report (all 8 counties changed to red). 

  • COVID-19 Like Illness continue to rise and numbers are significantly greater than are typical for this time of year.
  • Hospitalizations are also rising at a rapid pace, threatening to outpace the resources available at some hospitals in NC. 396/2013 staff beds are empty in ICU’s for all of NC
  • NC continues to have enough stock of PPE in reserve so this is not a current issue or concern.
  • The number of daily tests performed and analyzed at the State Lab is still running around 40,000 a day.



Click here for more information.


Governor Cooper's Executive Order 181

On December 8th, Governor Cooper announced thatindividuals in all counties should stay at home between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM unless an exception applies, and many businesses must close at 10:00 PM. 

  • Individuals in all counties should avoid holiday travel, follow guidance for celebrating winter holidays safely, and get the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available and their turn.
  • Institutes of Higher Education should adopt regular testing of students and staff, and students and staff should follow Safer Holiday Breaks guidance.

The new rules will start Friday at 5 p.m. and remain in effect through Jan. 8.

Click here to read the entire Executive Order.


US Vaccine Supply and Demand in Person Coverage from National Academy of Medicine


CDC Beefs Up Indoor Mask Advice as COVID-19 Cases Surge

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended universal mask use in all indoor settings, except when people are in their own homes, as part of a multipronged strategy to slow the nation's surge and speed economic recovery.

Click here to read more.


Diabetic Retinopathy Is Independently Associated With Increased Risk Of Intubation: A Single Center Cohort Study Of Patients With Diabetes Hospitalized With COVID-19

In a study of 187 patients with diabetes hospitalized with COVID-19 researchers observed a more than 5 fold increased risk of intubation in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms that explain the associations between retinopathy and other indices of microangiopathy with severe COVID-19.

Click here to read the study.


Summary of Guidance for Public Health Strategies to Address High Levels of Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Deaths

The United States is experiencing high levels of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

What is added by this report? COVID-19 pandemic control requires a multipronged application of evidence-based strategies while improving health equity: universal face mask use, physical distancing, avoiding nonessential indoor spaces, increasing testing, prompt quarantine of exposed persons, safeguarding those at increased risk for severe illness or death, protecting essential workers, postponing travel, enhancing ventilation and hand hygiene, and achieving widespread COVID-19 vaccination coverage

What are the implications for public health practice? These combined strategies will protect health care, essential businesses, and schools, bridging to a future with high community coverage of effective vaccines and safe return to more activities in a range of settings.

Click here to read more.


WHO Fine-Tunes Advice on COVID Masks for Public, Health Workers

The World Health Organization on Wednesday tightened guidelines on wearing face masks, recommending that, where COVID-19 is spreading, they be worn by everyone in health care facilities and for all interactions in poorly-ventilated indoor spaces.

Click here to read the article.


PPE Shortage Crisis Continues at Most Hospitals, Survey Shows

A majority of hospitals and healthcare facilities surveyed report operating according to "crisis standards of care" as they struggle to provide sufficient personal protective equipment. 

For example, in a national survey, 73% of 1083 infection prevention experts said respirator shortages related to care for patients with COVID-19 drove their facility to move beyond conventional standards of care. Furthermore, 69% of facilities are using crisis standards of care (CSC) to provide masks, and 76% are apportioning face shields or eye protection. 

Almost 76% of respondents who report reusing respirators said their facility allows them to use each respirator either five times or as many times as possible before replacement; 74% allow similar reuse of masks. 

Although the majority of institutions remain in this crisis mode, many healthcare providers have better access to PPE than they did in the spring 2020, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) noted in its latest national survey.

Click here to read the article.

Click here to view the survey results.


New Resources

Diagnosis-Wide Analysis Of COVID-19 Complications: An Exposure-Crossover Study

Modeling the Onset of Symptoms of COVID-19

Workers Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 Can Remain as 'Last Resort' in Updated Guidance

Therapeutically Administered Ribonucleoside Analogue MK-4482/EIDD-2801 Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Ferrets

Evidence of Long-Distance Droplet Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by Direct Air Flow in a Restaurant in Korea

Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizers: A Warning to Mitigate Future Poisonings and Deaths

HSV-1 and Zika Virus but Not SARS-CoV-2 Replicate in the Human Cornea and Are Restricted by Corneal Type III Interferon


NCOS COVID-19 Updates & Resources Page

Click here!


COVID-19 Statistics

NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center

WorldoMeter Coronavirus Website

The COVID Tracking Project