COVID-19

Florida COVID-19: State tally tops 54,000, Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome cases reported

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) reported that of the nearly 41,000 COVID-19 tests performed Thursday, 1212 were positive, or 3 percent. This brings the state total to 54,497 cases.

An additional 49 deaths were reported–Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Dade, Duval, Escambia, Gadsden, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Jackson, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, St. Johns, Union and Washington counties.

COVID-19
Image/CDC

The total deaths now stands at 2,413.

State health officials are now publishing COVID-19 antibody test results and in the first such report,123,552 tests were performed by commercial laboratories doing serologic testing for COVID-19 IgG or total antibody (IgM and IgG). Of this total, 5,474 were positive–about 4.5%.

Health officials also reported eight Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome cases–which is believed to have a strong link to COVID-19 . The illness in children presents with symptoms similar to an Atypical Kawasaki Disease and Toxic Shock-Like Syndrome; however, the full spectrum of disease is not yet known.

Officials say you seek immediate care if a child has: Predominant symptoms include prolonged fever (more than five days), severe abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting, bloodshot eyes and a skin rash.

Other symptoms may include change in skin color – becoming pale, patchy and/or blue, difficulty feeding (infants) or is too sick to drink fluids, trouble breathing or is breathing very quickly, racing heart or chest pain and lethargy, irritability or confusion.

At a press conference in Boca Raton Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Home Depot and Publix have agreed to each host three testing sites at their stores across the state. These sites will be able to test up to 100 individuals per day.

At the direction of Governor DeSantis, the state has established 15 drive-thru and 16 walk-up testing sites across the state, with more coming online. More than 230,000 people have been tested at these sites.

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