COVID-19 updates: Hospitals may be overcounting child cases, study finds

Thursday, May 20, 2021

The latest videos about coronavirus in the US

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The COVID-19 pandemic is having a major impact across the world and also in cities across Northern California. The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC's 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7's daily interactive newscast about the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and other hot topics. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

GET HELP: Resources and information about COVID-19

CA REOPENING TIERS: Map shows which counties can, can't reopen under Newsom's new 4-tier system

LATEST LOCAL CASES: Updated number of COVID-19 cases, deaths in San Francisco Bay Area

Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:

May 19, 2021

7:25 a.m.
Hospitals may be overcounting child cases, study finds
Hospitals may be overcounting the number of kids being hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to a new study from Stanford. Researchers analyzed data from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. They found 117 child patients either tested positive or were hospitalized for multisystem inflammatory syndrome, but 40% of those cases were asymptomatic. And 45% of those admissions were found to be unlikely to be caused by the virus.

May 18, 2021

12:00 p.m.
1 more Bay Area county joins yellow tier
Santa Clara County has officially joined San Francisco and San Mateo counties in the yellow reopening tier. See what is allowed to reopen here.

9:30 a.m.
SF Giants loosen COVID-19 rules for fans in socially distanced sections
Starting Friday, May 21, Giants fans seated in socially distanced sections will not required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination for entry into Oracle Park. Fans sitting in fully vaccinated sections will still be required to show proof they're fully vaccinated.

7:15 a.m.
Vaccine clinics opening at Contra Costa Co. schools
Vaccine clinics will begin opening at Contra Costa County schools today. It's an effort to increase vaccinations among students now that eligibility has expanded. Antioch Middle School and Concord High School will host free clinics starting this morning. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Saturday. Next week, sites will open at Pinole Valley High, Pittsburg High, Ygnacio Valley High in Concord and Edna Hill Middle in Brentwood. Anyone eligible for a vaccine can go to the sites.

May 17, 2021

12:15 p.m.
Calif. to begin following the new CDC indoor mask guidelines starting June 15
California health officials announced Monday that the state would begin following the Centers for Disease Control's eased mask guidelines for some indoor settings starting June 15.

7:45 a.m.
CDC recommends masks stay on at schools
The CDC says masks should stay on at school, at least for the rest of the school year. The agency reasons that most younger children aren't vaccinated -- and may not be eligible until the fall. While the CDC says children who get infected tend to have less severe cases of COVID-19, they can still get sick and spread the virus to others. The CDC will update its guidance for the next school year "in coming weeks" to give educators time to plan.

May 16, 2021

4:25 p.m.
California records 1,370 new cases, 7-day positivity rate at 1%
California recorded 1,370 new COVID-19 cases and 55 deaths on Saturday, with a 7-day positivity rate at 1%, according to state health officials Sunday.
1,402 remain hospitalized with 362 in the ICU.

May 15, 2021

11:45 a.m.
Nearly 2,000 new cases in CA, 7-day positivity rate is 1.1%

There are 1,864 new cases in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health. The 7-day positivity rate is 1.1%.

New cases: 1,864
Total: 3,663,539
Deaths: 27
Total: 61,444

7-Day Positivity Rate: 1.1%
1,428 Hospitalized
346 in ICU

Vaccinations: 15,362,144 Fully Vaccinated (48.3%)
4,837,852 Partially vaccinated

246,391 average doses administered per day
32 Days of inventory on hand

May 14, 2021

11:00 a.m.
More than 15M people fully vaccinated in CA

A vaccination milestone in California. As of Friday, 15,110,057 people are fully vaccinated in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health. The state positivity rate remains at 1.1%.

Here are other vaccinated numbers:
-4,931,344 partially vaccinated
-27 Days of inventory
-257,569 average doses administered per day

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers in CA:
-New Cases: 2,034
-Total Cases: 3,661,675
-3.5 cases per 100,000

Deaths: 66
Total Deaths: 61,417
Hospitalized: 1,453
In ICU: 359

May 13, 2021

8:25 a.m.
US unemployment claims drop to new pandemic low
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 473,000, a new pandemic low and the latest evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs as consumers ramp up spending and more businesses reopen.

May 12, 2021

9:45 p.m.
California's Department of Public Health (CDHP) officially recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for people 12+
After FDA and CDC authorization and endorsement of the Pfizer vaccine in 12-15 year-olds, California's Department of Public Health is officially recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for people 12-years-old and up.

7 p.m.
Santa Clara Co. opens up vaccine appointments to 12-to-15-year-old kids
Santa Clara County officials announced Wednesday evening that vaccine appointees for children 12 and up are available effective immediately. Appointments can be scheduled now through the county's website, which also includes information about numerous drop-in vaccination sites throughout the county.

9:45 a.m.
Panel suggests WHO should have more power to stop pandemics
A panel of independent experts who reviewed the World Health Organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic says the U.N. health agency should be granted "guaranteed rights of access" in countries to investigate emerging outbreaks, a contentious idea that would give it more powers and require member states to give up some of theirs.

May 11, 2021

10:30 a.m.
San Mateo Co. joins yellow tier
San Mateo County has officially joined San Francisco in the least restrictive yellow tier. This means nearly all businesses could open indoors with physical distancing and face covering requirements.

5 a.m.

LA County could reach herd immunity in July
Once the epicenter for COVID cases, health officials say Los Angeles County could reach herd immunity by the end of July. California's 7-Day Positivity Rate has dropped to a record low 1%.

May 10, 2021

8 p.m.
San Mateo Co. to move into yellow tier Tuesday, official says
San Mateo County will move into the less restrictive yellow tier on Tuesday, according to San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa. Some of the biggest changes that can happen in the yellow tier include increasing indoor capacity at wineries, breweries and distilleries to 50% or 200 people, whichever number is fewer. Gyms can increase capacity from 25% to 50%. They can also reopen saunas, spas and steam rooms.
2 p.m.
California's 7-day positivity rate at record low 1%
California's 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate is 1%, according to new data released by state health officials Monday. That is the record lowest number since the pandemic began. There were 1,377 newly recorded confirmed cases Sunday, adding to a total of 3,655,922 confirmed cases to date.
More than 14 million or 45.1% of residents are fully vaccinated in California, with a average of 267,310 doses administered per day.

8:35 a.m.
32 million Californians have received at least 1 shot
The Department of Public Health reported 1,800 new cases Sunday and 61 deaths in California. More than 32 million Californians have received at least one shot and 45% of the population over the age of 16 is fully vaccinated.
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