COVID-19 numbers continue upward trend in Maryland, Frederick reports highest increase
It is a source of frustration for the hospitals,
Instead, the hospital sends the samples to
It is not a problem unique to
But the two companies became overwhelmed leading to backlogs and extended wait times for results, he said, including for samples sent by
"We were sending them more tests than we were getting results back on any given day so that so the unrecorded list of test results was growing over about a 10, 12, 14 day period when we started doing a lot of testing," Kleinhanzl said.
There is a machine that could run the samples, owned by
"I wish we could do it faster but you don't control but you don't control," Kleinhanzl said. "We have no ability to perform the test."
Kleinhanzl is looking at options to hopefully address the challenges in testing, he said.
As of
The
Of the 93 cases, 20 have recovered, however, only two people were considered recovered since
None of the new cases are from the
There have been at least 42 deaths in the state, with
Of the 2,758 people, 159 people were released from isolation, including some who were hospitalized. Another 664 people were ever hospitalized, with 416 people currently hospitalized, Gov.
About 43 percent of people currently hospitalized required Intensive Care Unit level care, Hogan said.
"This virus is everywhere, and it is a threat to nearly everyone," Hogan said during the press conference.
There are 60 cases or clusters of cases in long term care facilities, across the state, Hogan said. There are six cases in the
An outbreak in the
What the nursing home outbreaks have shown the health department is that the virus is getting inside despite measures, such as banning visitors, screening staff and individuals who come in and using other control features, people are still getting sick, Phillips said.
"But what we are seeing here in
Going forward, all staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities who have contact with residents must wear a mask throughout the day, Phillips said. Speaking to nursing homes, she said that residents must be protected and staff must be given the proper personal protective equipment and training.
Nursing homes should send their samples to the
Nursing home operators need to also work with staff to make sure that residents who may have need hospitalizations can come back to their homes safely.
Masks can protect people by preventing the spread of the virus, Phillips said. Masks block the transmission of the disease by stopping respiratory droplets, which can come from coughing or talking, from being spread. They are not as effective in preventing a person from getting a disease.
In addition to nursing home staff, Phillips emphasized the importance of health care professionals having the heavy duty masks.
For others, there are cloth masks, and President
These masks are better than no masks when it comes to preventing the spread of the disease, Phillips said.
"Wearing a mask is not a bad idea," Phillips said during the press conference. "Wearing a mask can be protective."
Hogan encouraged all Marylanders to continue to practice social distancing guidelines and adhering to the stay-at-home order. Hogan said he is hopeful that
"The sacrifices that we are all being asked to make are incredibly difficult," Hogan said during the press conference. "I wish that I could tell you when we're going to turn the corner, when you'll be able to go back to work, to school or to church or when any of us will be able to get back to living a normal life again. Unfortunately, I am not able to do that. We simply don't know just how bad things are going to get or exactly how long this is going to last."
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