NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.

The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?

It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.

The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.

The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.

But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.

The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.

For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.

Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.

Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.

Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.

Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”

As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.

In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.

Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.

There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.

Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.

Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.

Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.

Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.

“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”

The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.

Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.

Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.

At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”

It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.

“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”___

Tiny airborne particles may pose a big coronavirus problem

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.

Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.

Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.

The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.

Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.

Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.

“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.

In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.

In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.

Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.

“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”

The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.

Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.

“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”

The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.

Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.

Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.

“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.

Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.

“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.

— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.

— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.

— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.

Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.

In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.

“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”

At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.

“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599689971178.png" alt="Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601054548620.png" alt="Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.In other developments:— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

Virus cases rise in US heartland, home to anti-mask feelings

Small business owners can receive free training online addressing how the pandemic is affecting workplaces.

Rebecca Lobina with the Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center says the training is free thanks to CARES Act funding.

One session in the 'Managing Forward' series will address remote workplaces.

"More and more people are working from home," Lobina tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "Either by desire to do so before the pandemic or, now, with the pandemic because they have to or because, while they're quarantined, if that happens to them, they have to work from home. So this talks about how you can effectively manage those people that are working from home."

Other sessions will address cybersecurity, sales and disaster planning for small businesses.

The sessions take place on Zoom and most start next week. For more information or to sign up, visit the <a href="https://sbdc.missouri.edu/events?mpp=12">Missouri Small Business Development Center's website</a>.

by SARAH THOMACKSt. Joseph PostSmall business owners can receive free training online addressing how the pandemic is affecting workplaces.Rebecca Lobina with the Northwest Missouri State University Small Business Development Center says the training is free thanks to CARES Act funding.One session in the 'Managing Forward' series will address remote workplaces."More and more people are working from home," Lobina tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "Either by desire to do so before the pandemic or, now, with the pandemic because they have to or because, while they're quarantined, if that happens to them, they have to work from home. So this talks about how you can effectively manage those people that are working from home."Other sessions will address cybersecurity, sales and disaster planning for small businesses.The sessions take place on Zoom and most start next week. For more information or to sign up, visit the <a href="https://sbdc.missouri.edu/events?mpp=12">Missouri Small Business Development Center's website</a>.

Online training for small businesses addresses how COVID-19 is affecting workplaces 

St. Joseph health officials report a 25th COVID-19 related death in Buchanan County.

According to the health department, the individual was a man in his 80s with underlying health issues.

Health officials report an increase of 86 COVID-19 cases for Buchanan County Friday.

The county now reports a total of 2,295 COVID-19 cases since counting began. 

Mosaic Life Care reports 42 patients are currently being treated for COVID-19 at its St. Joseph hospital.

St. Joseph health officials report a 25th COVID-19 related death in Buchanan County.According to the health department, the individual was a man in his 80s with underlying health issues.Health officials report an increase of 86 COVID-19 cases for Buchanan County Friday.The county now reports a total of 2,295 COVID-19 cases since counting began. Mosaic Life Care reports 42 patients are currently being treated for COVID-19 at its St. Joseph hospital.

Buchanan County reports 25th death related to COVID-19

Buchanan County continues to see an increase in the number of
new COVID-19 cases even as the county records its 24th
coronavirus-related death.

St. Joseph health officials report 54 new coronavirus cases on
Wednesday, bringing the county total to 2,160 since the pandemic
began.

The 24th death is a man in his 40s with underlying
health conditions.

Mosaic Life Care reports 38 COVID-19 patients are currently
being treated at the St. Joseph hospital.

Mosaic has now tested 31,911 area residents with
2,209 testing positive. Mosaic is awaiting results from 399 tests.

Andrew County health officials report an increase of 13 new
COVID-19 cases, bringing that county’s total to 331. Andrew County has recorded
two deaths.

Doniphan County, Kansas reports 96 total cases.

Missouri health officials report 116,946 and 1,947 deaths.

Kansas health officials report 55,226 total
cases and 621 deaths.

This article has been updated with new Mosaic numbers.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostBuchanan County continues to see an increase in the number of
new COVID-19 cases even as the county records its 24th
coronavirus-related death.St. Joseph health officials report 54 new coronavirus cases on
Wednesday, bringing the county total to 2,160 since the pandemic
began.The 24th death is a man in his 40s with underlying
health conditions.Mosaic Life Care reports 38 COVID-19 patients are currently
being treated at the St. Joseph hospital.Mosaic has now tested 31,911 area residents with
2,209 testing positive. Mosaic is awaiting results from 399 tests.Andrew County health officials report an increase of 13 new
COVID-19 cases, bringing that county’s total to 331. Andrew County has recorded
two deaths.Doniphan County, Kansas reports 96 total cases.Missouri health officials report 116,946 and 1,947 deaths.Kansas health officials report 55,226 total
cases and 621 deaths.This article has been updated with new Mosaic numbers.

COVID cases continue to rise in Buchanan CO; another death reported

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set another record Wednesday for its biggest seven-day spike in new confirmed coronavirus cases, and the state’s top public health official said it’s a sign that the state is seeing community spread of the virus even in “frontier” counties.

The state health department reported 1,267 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2.3%, to bring the total to 55,226. The average number of new cases per day was 622 for the seven days ending Wednesday, surpassing the previous record average of 615 for the first seven days of September.

The state also reported another 21 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total for the pandemic to 621. Nine of those deaths occurred before this week and were added to the total after a regular review of death certificates.

Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, acknowledged that the number of deaths as a total of positive cases has hovered around 1.1%. He said hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, largely because a higher percentage of younger people are getting infected. The median age of Kansas residents testing is 35, having dropped steadily since the end of March.

But Norman said during a Statehouse news conference that a “worrisome concern” is that the state anticipates that cases will continue to rise, and “1.1% of an ever-enlarging number is an ever-enlarging number.”

“We’re getting more widespread community spread statewide,” Norman said. “It’s not as just located in packing plants, nursing homes and the like, and so it’s becoming more community spread in rural and frontier counties.”

Kansas has no statewide mandate for people to wear masks in public because of a pandemic-management law enacted in June as a compromise between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The law has left decisions about restrictions on businesses and public gatherings and when K-12 schools should resume&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b5daf37e0f9a8d4f4b108d53a6139fb">to local officials.&nbsp;</a>GOP lawmakers recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">extracted a public promise</a>&nbsp;from Kelly that she won’t seek to close businesses statewide again, as she did in the spring.

During the past two weeks, the biggest increases in reported cases per 1,000 residents have been in rural central or western Kansas counties. Cheyenne County in the state’s far northwestern corner is in the lead with nearly 17 new cases per 1,000 residents, having seen its total case count jump from nine to 54, according to the state health department.

Four of the top five counties for total cases per 1,000 residents also are in central or western Kansas, led by Ford County in southwestern Kansas, with nearly 82 reported cases per 1,000 residents for the pandemic.

“It’s more widespread — urban, surburban, rural, frontier — and those are contributing to the overall numbers in an unfortunate way,” Norman said. “There’s a lot more young people that are getting infected in schools and colleges and universities and sports.”

Meanwhile, the University of Kansas Medical Center is part of a nationwide clinical trial looking into different treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus who do not require hospitalization.

The first treatment will involve a drug made by Eli Lilly and the use of engineered versions of the same virus-fighting antibodies that the body naturally produces, KCUR-FM reported. The clinical trial is one of at least 40 around the country.

KU Medical Center’s lead investigator, Dr. Mario Castro, said the trial will allow for the introduction of multiple agents to combat COVID-19 as they become available.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set another record Wednesday for its biggest seven-day spike in new confirmed coronavirus cases, and the state’s top public health official said it’s a sign that the state is seeing community spread of the virus even in “frontier” counties.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKDHEnews%2Fvideos%2F764889104292142%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The state health department reported 1,267 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2.3%, to bring the total to 55,226. The average number of new cases per day was 622 for the seven days ending Wednesday, surpassing the previous record average of 615 for the first seven days of September.The state also reported another 21 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total for the pandemic to 621. Nine of those deaths occurred before this week and were added to the total after a regular review of death certificates.Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, acknowledged that the number of deaths as a total of positive cases has hovered around 1.1%. He said hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, largely because a higher percentage of younger people are getting infected. The median age of Kansas residents testing is 35, having dropped steadily since the end of March.But Norman said during a Statehouse news conference that a “worrisome concern” is that the state anticipates that cases will continue to rise, and “1.1% of an ever-enlarging number is an ever-enlarging number.”“We’re getting more widespread community spread statewide,” Norman said. “It’s not as just located in packing plants, nursing homes and the like, and so it’s becoming more community spread in rural and frontier counties.”Kansas has no statewide mandate for people to wear masks in public because of a pandemic-management law enacted in June as a compromise between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The law has left decisions about restrictions on businesses and public gatherings and when K-12 schools should resume&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b5daf37e0f9a8d4f4b108d53a6139fb">to local officials.&nbsp;</a>GOP lawmakers recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">extracted a public promise</a>&nbsp;from Kelly that she won’t seek to close businesses statewide again, as she did in the spring.During the past two weeks, the biggest increases in reported cases per 1,000 residents have been in rural central or western Kansas counties. Cheyenne County in the state’s far northwestern corner is in the lead with nearly 17 new cases per 1,000 residents, having seen its total case count jump from nine to 54, according to the state health department.Four of the top five counties for total cases per 1,000 residents also are in central or western Kansas, led by Ford County in southwestern Kansas, with nearly 82 reported cases per 1,000 residents for the pandemic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600881352224.png" alt="Wednesday Sept. 23, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Sept. 23, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s more widespread — urban, surburban, rural, frontier — and those are contributing to the overall numbers in an unfortunate way,” Norman said. “There’s a lot more young people that are getting infected in schools and colleges and universities and sports.”Meanwhile, the University of Kansas Medical Center is part of a nationwide clinical trial looking into different treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus who do not require hospitalization.The first treatment will involve a drug made by Eli Lilly and the use of engineered versions of the same virus-fighting antibodies that the body naturally produces, KCUR-FM reported. The clinical trial is one of at least 40 around the country.KU Medical Center’s lead investigator, Dr. Mario Castro, said the trial will allow for the introduction of multiple agents to combat COVID-19 as they become available.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

🎥  Even ‘frontier’ counties hit in Kansas’ new COVID-19 spike

St. Joseph health officials report a huge spike in new
COVID-19 cases in Buchanan County and say the total this month has already
passed the total for May.

Two more coronavirus-related deaths have been reported; both
men, one in his 70s and the other in his 60s, both with underlying health
issues.

Health officials report 81 new cases of the coronavirus, by
far the biggest single-day jump this month, far exceeding the count of 35 on
Monday and 45 on Sunday. The jump in new cases brings the total this month to
703. St. Joseph health officials reported 625 COVID-19 cases in May when the
pandemic began to really ramp up.

Buchanan County now reports 2,106 total cases since
counting began; 1,687 confirmed and 419 probable. The county reports
a total of 23 deaths.

Mosaic Life Care reports 37 COVID-19 patients are being
treated at its St. Joseph hospital as of Wednesday morning. Mosaic has now tested 31,449 area
residents with 2,157 testing positive. Mosaic is awaiting results from 273 tests.

Andrew County reports eight new COVID-19 cases, bringing the
county total to 317. The county has recorded two deaths.

Doniphan County, Kansas reports 95 cases.

Missouri health officials report 115,366 with
1,864 deaths.

Kansas health officials report 53,959 total cases
with 600 deaths.

This article has been updated with latest Mosaic figures.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostSt. Joseph health officials report a huge spike in new
COVID-19 cases in Buchanan County and say the total this month has already
passed the total for May.Two more coronavirus-related deaths have been reported; both
men, one in his 70s and the other in his 60s, both with underlying health
issues.Health officials report 81 new cases of the coronavirus, by
far the biggest single-day jump this month, far exceeding the count of 35 on
Monday and 45 on Sunday. The jump in new cases brings the total this month to
703. St. Joseph health officials reported 625 COVID-19 cases in May when the
pandemic began to really ramp up.Buchanan County now reports 2,106 total cases since
counting began; 1,687 confirmed and 419 probable. The county reports
a total of 23 deaths.Mosaic Life Care reports 37 COVID-19 patients are being
treated at its St. Joseph hospital as of Wednesday morning. Mosaic has now tested 31,449 area
residents with 2,157 testing positive. Mosaic is awaiting results from 273 tests.Andrew County reports eight new COVID-19 cases, bringing the
county total to 317. The county has recorded two deaths.Doniphan County, Kansas reports 95 cases.Missouri health officials report 115,366 with
1,864 deaths.Kansas health officials report 53,959 total cases
with 600 deaths.This article has been updated with latest Mosaic figures.

Huge spike in COVID-19 cases in Buchanan County; two more deaths

The new citywide mask mandate has been in place for almost a week in St. Joseph and St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Patt Lilly says&nbsp;he sees the new mandate as beneficial to businesses.

"They don't have to argue the point with employees, they don't have to argue the point, rightly or wrongly, with customers, everyone wears a mask," Lilly tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "Now there's a consistent policy, everybody's being treated the same."

Lilly says we need to do everything we can as a community to keep businesses open.

"Taking precautions, doing those things that we need to do to be smart about the virus and to protect one another, I think ultimately will allow us to maintain our businesses going forward and at such time we have a vaccine, hopefully a more robust return to business," Lilly says.

The 30-day mask mandate went into effect <a href="https://www.stjoemo.info/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1099">on Thursday</a> and requires masks in all indoor public places.&nbsp;

by SARAH THOMACKSt. Joseph PostThe new citywide mask mandate has been in place for almost a week in St. Joseph and St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Patt Lilly says&nbsp;he sees the new mandate as beneficial to businesses."They don't have to argue the point with employees, they don't have to argue the point, rightly or wrongly, with customers, everyone wears a mask," Lilly tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "Now there's a consistent policy, everybody's being treated the same."Lilly says we need to do everything we can as a community to keep businesses open."Taking precautions, doing those things that we need to do to be smart about the virus and to protect one another, I think ultimately will allow us to maintain our businesses going forward and at such time we have a vaccine, hopefully a more robust return to business," Lilly says.The 30-day mask mandate went into effect <a href="https://www.stjoemo.info/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1099">on Thursday</a> and requires masks in all indoor public places.&nbsp;

Chamber president says new mask mandate better for businesses

Johnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated PressJohnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.___

Late-stage study of first single-shot vaccine begins in US

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.

“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.

Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.

That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.

“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”

The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.

In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.

The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.

Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.

Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.

She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”

“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F375702983819963%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600708052188.png" alt="Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.----------

🎥  Governor concerned about state's response to coronavirus

NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.

But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.

It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.

The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.

Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.

In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.

Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.

But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.

The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.

But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.

The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.

Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”

“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.

At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.

“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

CDC changes, then retracts, web posting on how virus spreads

COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Buchanan County with St.
Joseph health officials reporting 35 new cases on Monday after reporting 45 new
cases on Sunday, bringing the county total since the pandemic began to 2,025.

Health officials also report an additional death since their
last report, bringing the total of coronavirus-related deaths in Buchanan
County to 21. The latest death was a woman in her 30s with an underlying health
condition.

Mosaic Life Care reports 31 COVID-19 patients are being
treated at the St. Joseph hospital as of Monday morning.

Mosaic has now tested 30,571 area residents with 2,080 testing
positive for COVID-19. Mosaic is awaiting results from 76 tests.

Andrew County health officials now report 302 total cases of
COVID-19 with two deaths.

Doniphan County, Kansas reports 95 total cases.

Missouri health officials report 114,307 COVID-19 total cases,
resulting in 1,807 deaths.

Kansas has recorded 53,959 total cases and 600 deaths.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostCOVID-19 cases continue to spike in Buchanan County with St.
Joseph health officials reporting 35 new cases on Monday after reporting 45 new
cases on Sunday, bringing the county total since the pandemic began to 2,025.Health officials also report an additional death since their
last report, bringing the total of coronavirus-related deaths in Buchanan
County to 21. The latest death was a woman in her 30s with an underlying health
condition.Mosaic Life Care reports 31 COVID-19 patients are being
treated at the St. Joseph hospital as of Monday morning.Mosaic has now tested 30,571 area residents with 2,080 testing
positive for COVID-19. Mosaic is awaiting results from 76 tests.Andrew County health officials now report 302 total cases of
COVID-19 with two deaths.Doniphan County, Kansas reports 95 total cases.Missouri health officials report 114,307 COVID-19 total cases,
resulting in 1,807 deaths.Kansas has recorded 53,959 total cases and 600 deaths.

COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Buchanan County with an additional death

Recent antibody testing in Buchanan County discloses a low
number of county residents have had COVID-19.

While that is good news, it also discloses the county is far
from herd immunity.

Mosaic Life Care Chief Quality Officer, Dr. Edward Kammerer,
says without herd immunity, area residents need to follow current practices.

“There are some core aspects that are necessary to continue to
control this pandemic,” Kammerer says. “It goes back to the same basics that we
started with which have been proven over time. It’s hand hygiene. It is wearing
a mask and it is social distancing that are going to make a difference.”

Antibody testing of more than 2,300 Buchanan County residents
disclosed only three percent had had COVID-19. That number could rise due to
the recent increase in new COVID-19 cases, especially those cases which have
landed more residents in the hospital.

Mosaic reported this morning it is currently treating 31
COVID-19 patients in the St. Joseph hospital, up a bit from the weekend, though
off the high set last week of 36. Mosaic has tested 30,571 area residents with
2,080 testing positive.

Kammerer says it takes a rate of at least 60% of a community to
reach herd immunity. He says without reaching that threshold, the best shot the
county has to hold down the spread of the virus is development of a vaccine.

“So, the vaccine becomes a significant aspect, especially for
our community where we have a low penetrance,” Kammerer says. “Moving forward,
until that vaccine comes up, it is essential, and I applaud the mayor for putting
in a mandatory mask mandate. This is essential for us to get back to doing what
we can do in order to keep our community safe and keep that penetrance low
until we get the vaccine and we have herd immunity.” 

COVID-19 remains a very real threat in Buchanan County, according
to Kammerer, but the seriousness of the virus depends on where it attacks the
body. Kammerer says most who contract the coronavirus won’t have to seek
hospital care.

“All these other symptoms that you here about, they are interesting,
they are fascinating to me; the loss of smell, loss of taste, you get headaches,
you get sore throats, so get fevers, you get body aches. None of those land you
in the hospital,” according to Kammerer. “You can’t taste, you don’t end up in
the hospital. But what does land you in the hospital, is when you get it down
in your lungs.”

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostRecent antibody testing in Buchanan County discloses a low
number of county residents have had COVID-19.While that is good news, it also discloses the county is far
from herd immunity.Mosaic Life Care Chief Quality Officer, Dr. Edward Kammerer,
says without herd immunity, area residents need to follow current practices.“There are some core aspects that are necessary to continue to
control this pandemic,” Kammerer says. “It goes back to the same basics that we
started with which have been proven over time. It’s hand hygiene. It is wearing
a mask and it is social distancing that are going to make a difference.”Antibody testing of more than 2,300 Buchanan County residents
disclosed only three percent had had COVID-19. That number could rise due to
the recent increase in new COVID-19 cases, especially those cases which have
landed more residents in the hospital.Mosaic reported this morning it is currently treating 31
COVID-19 patients in the St. Joseph hospital, up a bit from the weekend, though
off the high set last week of 36. Mosaic has tested 30,571 area residents with
2,080 testing positive.Kammerer says it takes a rate of at least 60% of a community to
reach herd immunity. He says without reaching that threshold, the best shot the
county has to hold down the spread of the virus is development of a vaccine.“So, the vaccine becomes a significant aspect, especially for
our community where we have a low penetrance,” Kammerer says. “Moving forward,
until that vaccine comes up, it is essential, and I applaud the mayor for putting
in a mandatory mask mandate. This is essential for us to get back to doing what
we can do in order to keep our community safe and keep that penetrance low
until we get the vaccine and we have herd immunity.” COVID-19 remains a very real threat in Buchanan County, according
to Kammerer, but the seriousness of the virus depends on where it attacks the
body. Kammerer says most who contract the coronavirus won’t have to seek
hospital care.“All these other symptoms that you here about, they are interesting,
they are fascinating to me; the loss of smell, loss of taste, you get headaches,
you get sore throats, so get fevers, you get body aches. None of those land you
in the hospital,” according to Kammerer. “You can’t taste, you don’t end up in
the hospital. But what does land you in the hospital, is when you get it down
in your lungs.”

Anti-COVID practices vital until vaccine is developed

One St. Joseph agency is thinking about Christmas in September as they begin discussions on how to conduct their annual holiday program during a pandemic.

The AFL-CIO Community Services Agency coordinates the Adopt-A-Family Christmas program each year which helps hundreds of families who need assistance during the holidays.

The agency's Soles for Christ shoe distribution <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/18a6a522-83a7-4924-a5bf-0bb182e22514">was postponed</a> due to COVID-19 concerns and AFL-CIO Executive Director Penny Adams says they expect the Christmas program will see some changes this year.

by SARAH THOMACKSt. Joseph PostOne St. Joseph agency is thinking about Christmas in September as they begin discussions on how to conduct their annual holiday program during a pandemic.The AFL-CIO Community Services Agency coordinates the Adopt-A-Family Christmas program each year which helps hundreds of families who need assistance during the holidays.The agency's Soles for Christ shoe distribution <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/18a6a522-83a7-4924-a5bf-0bb182e22514">was postponed</a> due to COVID-19 concerns and AFL-CIO Executive Director Penny Adams says they expect the Christmas program will see some changes this year."We may have to start it a little bit early and we may have to do more applications by phone or some online applications," Adams tells St. Joseph Post.Adams says they will soon be contacting adopters and volunteers who are regularly involved in the program for feedback."We depend on the adopters, without them we won't have our program," Adams says. "The majority of them go out and actually shop and some of them may not be willing to do that, but yet they might be willing to purchase gift certificates or things like that to give to the families. A lot of folks do online shopping so there might be a way around that shopping issue.” For more information on the Adopt-A-Family Christmas program contact AFL-CIO Community Services at (816) 364-1131 or <a href="https://helpmenow.org/programs/adopt-a-family/">click here</a>.

Coronavirus Update