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MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida’s governor said he is cautiously optimistic regarding the recent downward trend in COVID-19 numbers in the state amid confusion about the numbers the state is reporting.
Miami-Dade County has seen a recent spike in numbers, and state officials said that’s because of what happened at a testing laboratory in Miami Gardens.
“We’re not yet where we need to be, but we’re encouraged by the trend,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “For the past few weeks, Florida has seen sustained declines in new cases, visits to the emergency department for COVID-like illness and the number of COVID positive patients who are currently hospitalized.”
The Florida Department of Health released updated numbers on Wednesday that showed a spike in positive cases in Miami-Dade County. On Tuesday, the health department reported 1,507 cases out of the county, and they reported 4,141 new cases in the county on Wednesday.
The health department attributes the spike in numbers to a Miami Gardens laboratory that had not reported cases for the past seven weeks.
“Was this a sudden surge in new infections? No,” DeSantis said. “It turns out it was a data dump from a new private lab that included results from as far back as June. The data was stale. It’s not indicative of current trends, much less a ‘record day of fresh infections in Miami.'”
As the state tracks numbers, researchers from the University of Florida have released a new study on the transmission of COVID-19 through the air.
Researchers said the findings were made possible thanks to the latest technology.
Dr. John Lednicky, a health research professor at the university, is part of the team who conducted the study.
The technology they used gently removes virus aerosols from the air without damaging them. They tested virus samples on cells infected with the coronavirus, and the samples were gathered from as far away as 16 feet from COVID-19 patients.
“We were able to detect the virus in the air in the hospital room with COVID patients, and that virus is infectious,” Lednicky said. “The virus can remain viable in the air, that means infectious in the air, and it can travel further than a lot of people previously thought. What’s in the air may be a danger to you.”
Social distancing guidelines have generally focused on the spread of the virus within 6 feet. However, some believe the study proves infections can happen through the air, and these aerosols can travel farther than first thought.
Given the results of the study, health officials stressed the importance of practicing social distancing and wearing masks.
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