While new cases of COVID-19 continue to show up across southwest Florida, the rate of increase seems to have settled at a pace that’s currently not overwhelming hospitals.
Since last week there have been 192 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lee County; 97 new cases in Collier; 72 new cases in Charlotte County; 26 new cases in Hendry County, and Glades is now reporting 6 cases, up one from last Monday. In all, there have been 69 coronavirus related deaths across southwest Florida, 101 if you include Sarasota County.
Overall, the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard puts the latest number of confirmed cases in all of Florida at 32,138 – that’s up from 26,660 last week, and 20,601 the week before. The rate of increase statewide has stayed about the same for the past four weeks.
The first two coronavirus related deaths were reported last week in Hendry County. We’ll check in with R.D. Williams, CEO of Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, and its marketing director Electa Waddell.
NCH Healthcare System is acquiring cutting-edge coronavirus antibody testing equipment with the goal of ramping up mass testing as quickly as possible. We'll learn more from its Chief Nursing Officer, Jon Kling.
We’ll also get an update from Lee Health infectious disease doctor, Doug Brust, to see how the first week of Lee Health’s new convalescent plasma study went.
And, we'll talk about some of the other antibody testing studies that are happening in other parts of the country with Florida Gulf Coast University professor and molecular virologist, Dr. Sharon Isern.
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Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has recovered can click HERE to learn more about participating in the convalescent plasma study, or you can send an email to COVID.plasma@LeeHealth.org (email preferred), or call 239-343-2332.
