LAWRENCE—Using "lab on a chip" technology, Foundation Distinguished Professor Steven Soper and graduate students in bioengineering and chemistry are developing a user-friendly COVID-19 test.

“Eventually, our test will go into a home — like an early pregnancy test at home,” said Soper. “Anyone could do it.”

Soper’s team, which includes a half-dozen graduate students in bioengineering and chemistry, is repurposing “lab on a chip” technology he had previously developed to give doctors simple tools to more easily and quickly diagnose conditions ranging from stroke to colon cancer. The goal is to get the new test to market “sooner than later, of course.”

“We’re well-versed in this,” he said.

The test uses a small plastic chip — about 38 by 42 millimeters — that contains 1.5 million tiny pillars, just 10 microns wide and 50 microns tall. Each pillar contains a piece of ribonucleic acid that “recognizes” a protein found in the COVID-19 virus particle.

“When we flow saliva through this forest of pillars that have on the chip surfaces, this DNA molecule will look to bind to the virus particle,” Soper said. The chip will then be exposed to blue light, which will release the RNA-virus bound particles from the pillars and funnel them through a hole just 200 nanometers wide — creating an electrical signal that lets users see if they have the virus.

That sounds complicated. For the user, though, taking the test will be very simple.

“You take a saliva sample, you put it in the chip, and the chip does the processing,” Soper said. The whole process, including results, should take around 15 minutes. Current tests — including one used by KU — involve multiple steps, require a trained operator to implement the test and need an hour or two before results are available.

Soper’s team has been working on the project since early June after researchers were allowed to return to their on-campus labs following KU’s shutdown in March. Funding for the effort comes from the National Institutes of Health. The group includes three graduate students in bioengineering and three graduate students in chemistry.

“I think most students want to contribute to society in terms of research. If we can actually find something that would help a lot of people, that would mean a lot to us,” said Swarnagowri Vaidyanathan, a doctoral student in bioengineering who is working on the project.

Other graduate student team members include Katie Childers and Zheng Zhao, both in bioengineering, as well as chemistry students Uditha Athapattu, Sachindra Gamage and Thilanga Nandana. Maggie Witek, associate research professor of chemistry, and Lulu Zhang, a postdoctoral chemistry student, are also working on the project.

“They basically stopped everything they were doing on their dissertation work to get this done,” Soper said. “Hats off to the graduate students. They’re working like crazy to get this done.”

The next step in the process is to conduct clinical trials of the test between now and the end of the year in order to obtain approval from the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration for widespread use. Once that happens, Soper said, “It’s a matter of manufacturing and getting it out to the market.”

Soper earned his doctorate in bioanalytical chemistry from KU in 1989 and returned to the university as a faculty member in 2016. He brought along his company, BioFluidica, which previously created new products to help doctors test for various types of cancers, including breast, colon and prostate cancer.

The new test, he said, will be adaptable for other viruses that come along in the future — and also to detect illnesses from cancer and radiation poisoning. “We can reprogram the chip so it can be used for other applications,” he said. “There’s many applications for our test, not just COVID-19.”

Soper said the University of Kansas is well-positioned for this kind of effort. A nanofabrication facility opened in Gray-Little Hall a year ago, which enables researchers to create the advanced tools used in the COVID-19 test.

“That’s provided the infrastructure, and that was a big investment by the university,” Soper said. “KU has the resources that we need to move this whole thing forward.”

LAWRENCE—Using "lab on a chip" technology, Foundation Distinguished Professor Steven Soper and graduate students in bioengineering and chemistry are developing a user-friendly COVID-19 test.“Eventually, our test will go into a home — like an early pregnancy test at home,” said Soper. “Anyone could do it.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601481634995.jpeg" alt="Steven Soper" />
 <figcaption>Steven Soper</figcaption>
 </figure>Soper’s team, which includes a half-dozen graduate students in bioengineering and chemistry, is repurposing “lab on a chip” technology he had previously developed to give doctors simple tools to more easily and quickly diagnose conditions ranging from stroke to colon cancer. The goal is to get the new test to market “sooner than later, of course.”“We’re well-versed in this,” he said.The test uses a small plastic chip — about 38 by 42 millimeters — that contains 1.5 million tiny pillars, just 10 microns wide and 50 microns tall. Each pillar contains a piece of ribonucleic acid that “recognizes” a protein found in the COVID-19 virus particle.“When we flow saliva through this forest of pillars that have on the chip surfaces, this DNA molecule will look to bind to the virus particle,” Soper said. The chip will then be exposed to blue light, which will release the RNA-virus bound particles from the pillars and funnel them through a hole just 200 nanometers wide — creating an electrical signal that lets users see if they have the virus.That sounds complicated. For the user, though, taking the test will be very simple.“You take a saliva sample, you put it in the chip, and the chip does the processing,” Soper said. The whole process, including results, should take around 15 minutes. Current tests — including one used by KU — involve multiple steps, require a trained operator to implement the test and need an hour or two before results are available.Soper’s team has been working on the project since early June after researchers were allowed to return to their on-campus labs following KU’s shutdown in March. Funding for the effort comes from the National Institutes of Health. The group includes three graduate students in bioengineering and three graduate students in chemistry.“I think most students want to contribute to society in terms of research. If we can actually find something that would help a lot of people, that would mean a lot to us,” said Swarnagowri Vaidyanathan, a doctoral student in bioengineering who is working on the project.Other graduate student team members include Katie Childers and Zheng Zhao, both in bioengineering, as well as chemistry students Uditha Athapattu, Sachindra Gamage and Thilanga Nandana. Maggie Witek, associate research professor of chemistry, and Lulu Zhang, a postdoctoral chemistry student, are also working on the project.“They basically stopped everything they were doing on their dissertation work to get this done,” Soper said. “Hats off to the graduate students. They’re working like crazy to get this done.”The next step in the process is to conduct clinical trials of the test between now and the end of the year in order to obtain approval from the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration for widespread use. Once that happens, Soper said, “It’s a matter of manufacturing and getting it out to the market.”Soper earned his doctorate in bioanalytical chemistry from KU in 1989 and returned to the university as a faculty member in 2016. He brought along his company, BioFluidica, which previously created new products to help doctors test for various types of cancers, including breast, colon and prostate cancer.The new test, he said, will be adaptable for other viruses that come along in the future — and also to detect illnesses from cancer and radiation poisoning. “We can reprogram the chip so it can be used for other applications,” he said. “There’s many applications for our test, not just COVID-19.”Soper said the University of Kansas is well-positioned for this kind of effort. A nanofabrication facility opened in Gray-Little Hall a year ago, which enables researchers to create the advanced tools used in the COVID-19 test.“That’s provided the infrastructure, and that was a big investment by the university,” Soper said. “KU has the resources that we need to move this whole thing forward.”

KU researchers developing quick-turnaround COVID-19 test


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing continues thanks to approval from Reno County Commissioners this week.

"We'll be doing the testing the next two Saturdays at the Hutchinson Clinic," said Karen Hammersmith with the Reno County Health Department. "It's a drive through from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m."

The testing at the 2107 building will take up to 250 swabs. The numbers of tests to be administered once the testing goes out into the county is still to be determined.

"We're also still working on getting people to work at that," Hammersmith said. "We're reaching out to our community partners for medical personnel to help at those sites."

Because of needing to coordinate availability, the times and dates of Reno County clinics outside of Hutchinson are still being firmed up. We will post those when they are made available.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing continues thanks to approval from Reno County Commissioners this week."We'll be doing the testing the next two Saturdays at the Hutchinson Clinic," said Karen Hammersmith with the Reno County Health Department. "It's a drive through from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m."The testing at the 2107 building will take up to 250 swabs. The numbers of tests to be administered once the testing goes out into the county is still to be determined."We're also still working on getting people to work at that," Hammersmith said. "We're reaching out to our community partners for medical personnel to help at those sites."Because of needing to coordinate availability, the times and dates of Reno County clinics outside of Hutchinson are still being firmed up. We will post those when they are made available.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing event October 3 and 10 in Hutchinson


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Dr. Scott Pauly with the Hutchinson Clinic said Friday he and his colleagues are trying to get school superintendents the best information they can to help keep schools open.

"A group of pediatricians and other primary care providers including family physicians are going to get together today to hopefully give more specific instructions that we feel will answer the questions of at what point at what level can we pump the brakes but keep kids in school," Pauly said.

The issue is this is not going to get better soon.

"Our best modeling shows us that the number of COVID-19 cases we've had the first six months of this pandemic, will likely be reproduced in the next three months," Pauly said. 

In addition, it may seem like community testing hasn't helped, but Pauly believes the numbers say it has.

"Testing we have done has our positive test rate at 13%," Pauly said. "Without the community testing, our positive test rate would be 23%. It's clear to see that even though our community testing has been inadequate at this point, it's given us a nearly 10% improvement from what it would be if we were only testing those who were sick."

Assuming the positive test rate was used as the measure and the rate was at 23%, that would have been well over the 15.7% threshold to push the county into the red zone and close schools and end activities completely.

<figure>
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 <figcaption>HutchClinic</figcaption>
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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Dr. Scott Pauly with the Hutchinson Clinic said Friday he and his colleagues are trying to get school superintendents the best information they can to help keep schools open.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601667424562.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"A group of pediatricians and other primary care providers including family physicians are going to get together today to hopefully give more specific instructions that we feel will answer the questions of at what point at what level can we pump the brakes but keep kids in school," Pauly said.The issue is this is not going to get better soon."Our best modeling shows us that the number of COVID-19 cases we've had the first six months of this pandemic, will likely be reproduced in the next three months," Pauly said. In addition, it may seem like community testing hasn't helped, but Pauly believes the numbers say it has."Testing we have done has our positive test rate at 13%," Pauly said. "Without the community testing, our positive test rate would be 23%. It's clear to see that even though our community testing has been inadequate at this point, it's given us a nearly 10% improvement from what it would be if we were only testing those who were sick."Assuming the positive test rate was used as the measure and the rate was at 23%, that would have been well over the 15.7% threshold to push the county into the red zone and close schools and end activities completely.

Dr. Pauly: Community testing has helped, but cases are likely to continue to increase


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — According to the numbers released Friday morning, Reno County's schools will be in the orange on the county's gating criteria for next week.

The 14-day positive case count is up to 148 cases, with the county's positive test rate at 13.7%. The county is still working up to enough testing to be able to use the positive test rate as the measure. 

Right now it is still the 14-day case count that determines the criteria color.

Both <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3f31a620-9be6-4939-9eb1-738ecfc0d9d0">USD 308</a> and USD 313 are going to a hybrid learning model starting Monday.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — According to the numbers released Friday morning, Reno County's schools will be in the orange on the county's gating criteria for next week.The 14-day positive case count is up to 148 cases, with the county's positive test rate at 13.7%. The county is still working up to enough testing to be able to use the positive test rate as the measure. Right now it is still the 14-day case count that determines the criteria color.Both <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3f31a620-9be6-4939-9eb1-738ecfc0d9d0">USD 308</a> and USD 313 are going to a hybrid learning model starting Monday.

Reno County gating criteria in orange for next week


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 is moving from its current in-person instructional model to hybrid learning for all students on Monday, October 5.

The district is doing this to reduce class sizes that will allow for better social distancing in classrooms and to avoid, if possible, having to go to full remote learning.

Unless otherwise communicated by individual buildings, Group A will be students with last names starting with A through L, and Group B is students with last names starting with M through Z.

Because next week has parent-teacher conferences, Group A will attend on Monday and Group B will attend on Tuesday. All students will learn from home on Wednesday.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 is moving from its current in-person instructional model to hybrid learning for all students on Monday, October 5.The district is doing this to reduce class sizes that will allow for better social distancing in classrooms and to avoid, if possible, having to go to full remote learning.Unless otherwise communicated by individual buildings, Group A will be students with last names starting with A through L, and Group B is students with last names starting with M through Z.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601570278069.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Because next week has parent-teacher conferences, Group A will attend on Monday and Group B will attend on Tuesday. All students will learn from home on Wednesday.

USD 308 going hybrid learning starting Monday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Nickerson Panthers are off the field for a couple of weeks. 

According to a Thursday email from AD Jon McLean, there has been a positive case of COVID-19 on the football team.&nbsp;

Nickerson was due to play Hugoton Friday night and Larned October 9 . The team is under quarantine until October 10th.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Nickerson Panthers are off the field for a couple of weeks. According to a Thursday email from AD Jon McLean, there has been a positive case of COVID-19 on the football team.&nbsp;Nickerson was due to play Hugoton Friday night and Larned October 9 . The team is under quarantine until October 10th.

Nickerson football not playing for two weeks


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 has modified its gating criteria in case the county goes into the orange zone regarding either 14-day case count or positive test rate.

"It was, in the orange zone, we would go into flex," said Superintendent Cindy Couchman. "We did not have a hybrid model built originally and in the orange zone, no competitions. We've loosened that up a little bit. Instead of going full flex in orange, we created a hybrid model. This allows, sort of a transition from full in person to the flex. The same is true with our activities. We said, okay, we are going to allow competitions, but how else can we limit the exposure and we said, no fans."

Pre-K through 5th grade were already to continue in person in the orange zone.

The gating criteria fell almost at the top end of the yellow zone last week. A new decision on the gating criteria color will come out on Friday.

<figure>
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 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Buhler USD 313 has modified its gating criteria in case the county goes into the orange zone regarding either 14-day case count or positive test rate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601548097354.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"It was, in the orange zone, we would go into flex," said Superintendent Cindy Couchman. "We did not have a hybrid model built originally and in the orange zone, no competitions. We've loosened that up a little bit. Instead of going full flex in orange, we created a hybrid model. This allows, sort of a transition from full in person to the flex. The same is true with our activities. We said, okay, we are going to allow competitions, but how else can we limit the exposure and we said, no fans."Pre-K through 5th grade were already to continue in person in the orange zone.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601548386735.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The gating criteria fell almost at the top end of the yellow zone last week. A new decision on the gating criteria color will come out on Friday.

USD 313 modifies gating criteria, creates hybrid model

Release from Reno County Health Department


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
COVID-19 Community testing is free and open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or for 250 swabs on October 3 and October 10, 2020. The testing&nbsp; will occur at the Hutchinson Clinic 2107 Building driveway. 

• not be a direct contact of someone that has COVID-19

• have NOT tested positive in the last 90 days to COVID-19

• have NOT been tested in the last 30 days

The purpose of the testing is to have a larger sampling of individuals who do not have symptoms, which should give an accurate picture of the positive rate in Reno County.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595202434504.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Release from Reno County Health Department
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
COVID-19 Community testing is free and open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or for 250 swabs on October 3 and October 10, 2020. The testing&nbsp; will occur at the Hutchinson Clinic 2107 Building driveway. You need to:• be a resident of Reno County,• be asymptomatic (no symptoms)• not be a direct contact of someone that has COVID-19• have NOT tested positive in the last 90 days to COVID-19• have NOT been tested in the last 30 daysThe purpose of the testing is to have a larger sampling of individuals who do not have symptoms, which should give an accurate picture of the positive rate in Reno County.

Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing event extended for two more Saturdays in Hutchinson

The Reno County Health Department confirms a fourth local resident with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 died September 25, 2020, while hospitalized in Hutchinson.

Out of respect for the family, the Reno County Health Department will not release any further information about this individual.

Please continue to be vigilant by washing your hands, social distance by at least six feet or more, wear a mask when you are in public places and stay at home if you are not feeling well. 

It is very important that people continue to follow the guidelines to help decrease the spread of COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595202434504.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Release from Reno County Health DepartmentThe Reno County Health Department confirms a fourth local resident with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 died September 25, 2020, while hospitalized in Hutchinson.Out of respect for the family, the Reno County Health Department will not release any further information about this individual.Please continue to be vigilant by washing your hands, social distance by at least six feet or more, wear a mask when you are in public places and stay at home if you are not feeling well. It is very important that people continue to follow the guidelines to help decrease the spread of COVID-19.

Fourth death from COVID-19 confirmed in Reno County

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2037 to a total of 58,629 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 637, an increase of 5.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2037 to a total of 58,629 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 637, an increase of 5.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601313079636.png" alt="Monday Sept. 28, 2020 KDHE image&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Monday Sept. 28, 2020 KDHE image&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.

The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?

It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.

The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.

The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.

But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.

The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.

For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.

Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.

Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.

Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.

Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”

As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.

In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.

Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.

There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.

Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.

Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.

Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.

Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.

“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”

The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.

Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.

Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.

At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”

It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.

“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”___

Tiny airborne particles may pose a big coronavirus problem


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The active case count in Reno County is back up to 191 cases, with many of those connected to cluster activity.&nbsp;The case count is up 34 cases in just three days. It was at 157 on the 24th.

According to the latest numbers Sunday, Hutchinson Correctional Facility is back up to 86 active cases, with 10 active cases connected to a religious gathering, one remaining case from Hutchinson Community College and nine active cases connected to K-12 education in the county.

1,057 positive test results have come since the beginning of the pandemic, with 863 recovered. Three have died.

The positive test rate in the county is still an area of concern, with the overall positive test rate at 11.99%. When you take out the prison cases, the community positive test rate is at 7.91%.

8,816 people have been tested with 7,759 negatives. This is in spite of four weeks of community testing of asymptomatic individuals in an effort to get what was hoped to be a more accurate number regarding community spread. 14.03% of the population has been tested.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The active case count in Reno County is back up to 191 cases, with many of those connected to cluster activity.&nbsp;The case count is up 34 cases in just three days. It was at 157 on the 24th.According to the latest numbers Sunday, Hutchinson Correctional Facility is back up to 86 active cases, with 10 active cases connected to a religious gathering, one remaining case from Hutchinson Community College and nine active cases connected to K-12 education in the county.1,057 positive test results have come since the beginning of the pandemic, with 863 recovered. Three have died.The positive test rate in the county is still an area of concern, with the overall positive test rate at 11.99%. When you take out the prison cases, the community positive test rate is at 7.91%.8,816 people have been tested with 7,759 negatives. This is in spite of four weeks of community testing of asymptomatic individuals in an effort to get what was hoped to be a more accurate number regarding community spread. 14.03% of the population has been tested.

Active cases and positive test rate increase in Reno County


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;With roughly six months of numbers to go on, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center says for their population, the number of admitted patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis is dead even by gender.

"If you include Q1, the number was actually 70 and 70, equal," said Chuck Welch with the hospital.

The majority of patients were hospitalized because COVID-19 made something else they had worse, not because of COVID-19 itself.

"We saw 39 patients of the 140 that came in with a primary diagnosis of COVID," Welch said. "The rest of them, their principal diagnosis was something else and it also turned out that they had COVID."

The hospital did not release information on length of stay, because if someone had that information, they could likely figure out who an individual was that was admitted and there are legal ramifications if that were possible.

"The difficulty with identifying length of stay is that length of stay with this disease is so specific to the person," Welch said. "It depends on the comorbidities. It depends on the other things they had going on with them at the time."

The most patients have come in July, August and the first half of September. The average age of females admitted was 60 years old. Average age of males admitted was 57.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;With roughly six months of numbers to go on, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center says for their population, the number of admitted patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis is dead even by gender."If you include Q1, the number was actually 70 and 70, equal," said Chuck Welch with the hospital.The majority of patients were hospitalized because COVID-19 made something else they had worse, not because of COVID-19 itself."We saw 39 patients of the 140 that came in with a primary diagnosis of COVID," Welch said. "The rest of them, their principal diagnosis was something else and it also turned out that they had COVID."The hospital did not release information on length of stay, because if someone had that information, they could likely figure out who an individual was that was admitted and there are legal ramifications if that were possible."The difficulty with identifying length of stay is that length of stay with this disease is so specific to the person," Welch said. "It depends on the comorbidities. It depends on the other things they had going on with them at the time."The most patients have come in July, August and the first half of September. The average age of females admitted was 60 years old. Average age of males admitted was 57.

Admissions that include COVID-19 evenly split by gender at HRMC after six months

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.

Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.

Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.

The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.

Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.

Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.

“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.

In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.

In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.

Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.

“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”

The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.

Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.

“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”

The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.

Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.

Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.

“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.

Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.

“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.

— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.

— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.

— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.

Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.

In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.

“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”

At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.

“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599689971178.png" alt="Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601054548620.png" alt="Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.In other developments:— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

Virus cases rise in US heartland, home to anti-mask feelings


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Schools in Reno County will remain in the yellow zone by the county's gating criteria for next week.

The numbers appear to have taken a bit of a step back, with 91 positive cases in 14 days as of Friday and a positive test rate of 9.7%. 

Buhler USD 313 is looking at changing its approach to the gating criteria.

"We are looking at some modifications to our gating criteria that we need to both vet through our admin team a little bit more, through some staff and then also our board of education," said superintendent Cindy Couchman. "We will release the updates, assuming that we do update it, early next week."

At least right now it looks like Buhler Grade School will be allowed to reopen when expected.

"Yes, they are," Couchman said. "They're going to be back on Wednesday. We are waiting on one more test result. The others came back. I'm feeling pretty good about it."

As of Friday there are 7 active cases in USD 313 and 89 connected people under quarantine.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Schools in Reno County will remain in the yellow zone by the county's gating criteria for next week.The numbers appear to have taken a bit of a step back, with 91 positive cases in 14 days as of Friday and a positive test rate of 9.7%. Buhler USD 313 is looking at changing its approach to the gating criteria."We are looking at some modifications to our gating criteria that we need to both vet through our admin team a little bit more, through some staff and then also our board of education," said superintendent Cindy Couchman. "We will release the updates, assuming that we do update it, early next week."At least right now it looks like Buhler Grade School will be allowed to reopen when expected."Yes, they are," Couchman said. "They're going to be back on Wednesday. We are waiting on one more test result. The others came back. I'm feeling pretty good about it."As of Friday there are 7 active cases in USD 313 and 89 connected people under quarantine.

County schools in yellow for next week, USD 313 looking at gating criteria modification


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The downtown Hutchinson Christmas Parade has been canceled, which is a change from the policy for the Patriots Parade back in July.

"We're just looking at every time that something comes up, what's going on in our community," said Karen Hammersmith with the Reno County Health Department. "What's going to be the best thing for our community? Our true goal is to keep our economy going and our kids in school."

On the fourth of July, there were 21 active cases in Reno County. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 161 active cases in the county.

"The first thing that the city has asked is that I as the health officer will sign off on parades," Hammersmith said. "We just went back to the community members that wanted to have it. It may not meet our goals."

The annual parade on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which this year is November 21, is traditionally run by Ad Astra Radio. Earlier this month, a request by USD 308 to hold their annual Homecoming Parade was also denied. 

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The downtown Hutchinson Christmas Parade has been canceled, which is a change from the policy for the Patriots Parade back in July."We're just looking at every time that something comes up, what's going on in our community," said Karen Hammersmith with the Reno County Health Department. "What's going to be the best thing for our community? Our true goal is to keep our economy going and our kids in school."On the fourth of July, there were 21 active cases in Reno County. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 161 active cases in the county."The first thing that the city has asked is that I as the health officer will sign off on parades," Hammersmith said. "We just went back to the community members that wanted to have it. It may not meet our goals."The annual parade on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which this year is November 21, is traditionally run by Ad Astra Radio. Earlier this month, a request by USD 308 to hold their annual Homecoming Parade was also denied.

Hutchinson Christmas Parade will not happen in 2020

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set another record Wednesday for its biggest seven-day spike in new confirmed coronavirus cases, and the state’s top public health official said it’s a sign that the state is seeing community spread of the virus even in “frontier” counties.

The state health department reported 1,267 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2.3%, to bring the total to 55,226. The average number of new cases per day was 622 for the seven days ending Wednesday, surpassing the previous record average of 615 for the first seven days of September.

The state also reported another 21 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total for the pandemic to 621. Nine of those deaths occurred before this week and were added to the total after a regular review of death certificates.

Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, acknowledged that the number of deaths as a total of positive cases has hovered around 1.1%. He said hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, largely because a higher percentage of younger people are getting infected. The median age of Kansas residents testing is 35, having dropped steadily since the end of March.

But Norman said during a Statehouse news conference that a “worrisome concern” is that the state anticipates that cases will continue to rise, and “1.1% of an ever-enlarging number is an ever-enlarging number.”

“We’re getting more widespread community spread statewide,” Norman said. “It’s not as just located in packing plants, nursing homes and the like, and so it’s becoming more community spread in rural and frontier counties.”

Kansas has no statewide mandate for people to wear masks in public because of a pandemic-management law enacted in June as a compromise between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The law has left decisions about restrictions on businesses and public gatherings and when K-12 schools should resume&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b5daf37e0f9a8d4f4b108d53a6139fb">to local officials.&nbsp;</a>GOP lawmakers recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">extracted a public promise</a>&nbsp;from Kelly that she won’t seek to close businesses statewide again, as she did in the spring.

During the past two weeks, the biggest increases in reported cases per 1,000 residents have been in rural central or western Kansas counties. Cheyenne County in the state’s far northwestern corner is in the lead with nearly 17 new cases per 1,000 residents, having seen its total case count jump from nine to 54, according to the state health department.

Four of the top five counties for total cases per 1,000 residents also are in central or western Kansas, led by Ford County in southwestern Kansas, with nearly 82 reported cases per 1,000 residents for the pandemic.

“It’s more widespread — urban, surburban, rural, frontier — and those are contributing to the overall numbers in an unfortunate way,” Norman said. “There’s a lot more young people that are getting infected in schools and colleges and universities and sports.”

Meanwhile, the University of Kansas Medical Center is part of a nationwide clinical trial looking into different treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus who do not require hospitalization.

The first treatment will involve a drug made by Eli Lilly and the use of engineered versions of the same virus-fighting antibodies that the body naturally produces, KCUR-FM reported. The clinical trial is one of at least 40 around the country.

KU Medical Center’s lead investigator, Dr. Mario Castro, said the trial will allow for the introduction of multiple agents to combat COVID-19 as they become available.

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set another record Wednesday for its biggest seven-day spike in new confirmed coronavirus cases, and the state’s top public health official said it’s a sign that the state is seeing community spread of the virus even in “frontier” counties.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKDHEnews%2Fvideos%2F764889104292142%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The state health department reported 1,267 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2.3%, to bring the total to 55,226. The average number of new cases per day was 622 for the seven days ending Wednesday, surpassing the previous record average of 615 for the first seven days of September.The state also reported another 21 deaths related to COVID-19, bringing the total for the pandemic to 621. Nine of those deaths occurred before this week and were added to the total after a regular review of death certificates.Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, acknowledged that the number of deaths as a total of positive cases has hovered around 1.1%. He said hospitals aren’t overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, largely because a higher percentage of younger people are getting infected. The median age of Kansas residents testing is 35, having dropped steadily since the end of March.But Norman said during a Statehouse news conference that a “worrisome concern” is that the state anticipates that cases will continue to rise, and “1.1% of an ever-enlarging number is an ever-enlarging number.”“We’re getting more widespread community spread statewide,” Norman said. “It’s not as just located in packing plants, nursing homes and the like, and so it’s becoming more community spread in rural and frontier counties.”Kansas has no statewide mandate for people to wear masks in public because of a pandemic-management law enacted in June as a compromise between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. The law has left decisions about restrictions on businesses and public gatherings and when K-12 schools should resume&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b5daf37e0f9a8d4f4b108d53a6139fb">to local officials.&nbsp;</a>GOP lawmakers recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9436c3901c2eaaf3ae46d1763804bed9">extracted a public promise</a>&nbsp;from Kelly that she won’t seek to close businesses statewide again, as she did in the spring.During the past two weeks, the biggest increases in reported cases per 1,000 residents have been in rural central or western Kansas counties. Cheyenne County in the state’s far northwestern corner is in the lead with nearly 17 new cases per 1,000 residents, having seen its total case count jump from nine to 54, according to the state health department.Four of the top five counties for total cases per 1,000 residents also are in central or western Kansas, led by Ford County in southwestern Kansas, with nearly 82 reported cases per 1,000 residents for the pandemic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600881352224.png" alt="Wednesday Sept. 23, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Sept. 23, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s more widespread — urban, surburban, rural, frontier — and those are contributing to the overall numbers in an unfortunate way,” Norman said. “There’s a lot more young people that are getting infected in schools and colleges and universities and sports.”Meanwhile, the University of Kansas Medical Center is part of a nationwide clinical trial looking into different treatments for patients with mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus who do not require hospitalization.The first treatment will involve a drug made by Eli Lilly and the use of engineered versions of the same virus-fighting antibodies that the body naturally produces, KCUR-FM reported. The clinical trial is one of at least 40 around the country.KU Medical Center’s lead investigator, Dr. Mario Castro, said the trial will allow for the introduction of multiple agents to combat COVID-19 as they become available.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

🎥  Even ‘frontier’ counties hit in Kansas’ new COVID-19 spike

Johnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated PressJohnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.___

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