Hawaii COVID-19 Daily News Digest March 29, 2020

Posted on Mar 29, 2020 in COVID-19

Dept. of Health:

Positive Test Results for COVID-19 Now at 175

DOH reports 24 positive test results today and all of the new cases are adults, none of whom have required hospitalization. All but one of the new cases are residents of the state, and only one (1) non-resident, who tested positive on Hawai‘i Island. Of the 24 new positive test results reported today, 11 are from the City & County of Honolulu, two (2) from the County of Hawai‘i, four (4) from Maui County and one (1) from the County of Kaua‘i. County of diagnosis or residency is pending in 6 (six) cases. There are 175 presumptive or positive cases to date, with the vast majority being Hawai‘i residents (145) and (20) non-residents. To date, 10 cases have unknown residency. There have been nearly 8,000 laboratory tests conducted for COVID-19 samples. Sentinel testing is still on-going and private clinical laboratories are now testing all samples for flu-related illnesses in addition to COVID-19.

“We need to continue practicing social distancing because it is a way to lower the curve of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. Everyone needs to take the measures implemented seriously and abide by those requirements,” said Health Director Bruce Anderson.

DOH is continuing to aggressively investigate all cases reported and tracing contacts. Most of these are now being reported through private clinical laboratories. To date, more than 7,500 results have been received from private laboratories and, of these, 159 have been positive for COVID- 19. The balance of those tested and found to be positive (13) were identified through State Laboratory testing before the private clinical laboratories were able to test for COVID-19. The State Laboratory continues to serve as a reference laboratory for Hawai‘i and other Pacific Island jurisdictions.

https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/


University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine

JABSOM Researcher & Wuhan Colleagues Find Hypnotics Improves COVID-19 Outcomes

Twenty researchers including JABSOM’s Dr. Youping Deng found beneficial effects of hypnotics on clinical outcoes in the management of COVID-19 patients. The research team, which was co-led by a researcher from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, reviewed the charts of 323 COVID-19 patients in hospitals from Jan. 8 – Feb. 20, 2020. A quarter of the patients were give a hypnotic drug used to treat insomnia, and 77 of the 82 had better clinical outcomes and were discharged. Of the five who had unfavorable outcomes, only one died.

https://jabsom.hawaii.edu/jabsom-researchers-team-with-wuhan-hospital-medical-team-on-study-of-hypnotics-to-treat-covid-19/

PDF: COVID-19 Daily Digest March 29, 2020

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