Governor’s press conference today, THURSDAY APRIL 23rd, 2020:
🔘 2,465 total cases. Up 189 from yesterday. 122 of those are from Cummins. 67 are from general population and Cummins staff.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COVID-19 POST-PEAK TASKFORCE:
1️⃣ Expand PCR testing for all patients with symptoms
consistent with COVID-19 and those with history of
potential exposure.
2️⃣ Expand PCR testing for contact investigations.
3️⃣ Screen for COVID-19 in high risk settings.
4️⃣ Develop strategy for statewide screening serosurveillance.
(This is antibody testing that will show if someone has had
it in the past.)
🟠2 DAY ARKANSAS SURGE CAMPAIGN🟠
➡️ If you have symptoms, don’t wait. Get tested!
➡️ We want to increase our tests from 1,000 a day to 1,500 a
day over the next two days.
DR NATE SMITH, SEC OF ADH:
📍Out of 2,465 total cases:
902 have recovered
101 currently hospitalized
24 currently on ventilators
3 new deaths (45 total)
174 have been nursing home residents
📍Cummins Unit:
687 inmate positives
35 staff positives
📍Forrest City Federal Corr. Institution:
75 inmates
10 staff
📍We want to utilize our testing capacity strategically. It’s not
just about # of people we test. We have 3 goals in
increasing our # of people tested:
1️⃣ Identify those with COVID-19
2️⃣ Interrupt/Stop spread of COVID-19
3️⃣ Save lives
DR CAM PATTERSON, UAMS CHANCELLOR:
📍To date, 15,000 people have been screened by UAMS.
📍4,129 have been tested by UAMS.
📍Working to develop serologic studies. The nasal swab
currently used for screening only lets a person know if
they’re currently infected. A serologic test would show if a
person has been infected in the past. 2 current problems
with serologic tests:
1️⃣ It’s not as sensitive/reliable as we’d like.
2️⃣ We don’t know enough about biology of a COVID-19
infection or if people can get reinfected.