Latest Clinton County COVID-19 stats
Updated daily except Sunday and holidays
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued an Emergency Order under the Public Health Code to update COVID safety requirements for Michiganders.
You might feel healthy, but the reality is this: about 40% of people who have COVID-19 may be asymptomatic. That means almost one out of every two people could be infected. They might not know it until it’s too late. So Mask Up Michigan!
3649 cases and 40 deaths; probable cases: 230 and probable deaths 0 [as of December 30]
For the latest updates visit https://www.mmdhd.org/novel-coronavirus/
Do you have COVID-19 questions? If you have questions regarding COVID-19, call the MDHHS hotline at 1-888-535-6136, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MDHHS asks Michiganders to “Mask Up, Mask Right”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is launching an initiative to not only get Michiganders to mask up, but to mask right.
“The science is now settled: Masks protect others from COVID – and they protect the wearer,” said Robert Gordon, MDHHS director. “It’s important to wear the right mask and wear it the right way. We want all Michiganders to Mask Up, Mask Right as we continue to battle the virus in our state.”
Masking right includes wearing one of three options of masks that provide stronger protection: three-layered washable cloth face coverings, medical-grade disposable masks or approved KN95 masks. It also includes wearing the approved mask correctly and having it secured over the nose and face and tightly fitting without gaps.
Mask Up, Mask Right
CDC has recommended the use of masks to protect the community by reducing emission of the virus and to protect the wearer by reducing inhalation. CDC cites a number of studies showing that masks have been effective. For example, one study showed that use of masks onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt was associated with a 70% reduced risk of COVID; another showed that, in a contact tracing investigation, those who reported wearing masks had a 70% lower risk of infection than those who did not. Published research by Beaumont Hospital in Southeast Michigan also showed that mask wearing was associated with lower levels of infection by COVID and, among those infected, lower levels of symptoms.
Bandanas, gaiters and face shields without masks do not provide adequate protection for the wearer or others and are not recommended.
“The delivery of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Michigan means there will be an end to this pandemic,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “However, it will take several months before we are able to have enough vaccine to widely distribute it to all Michiganders. Until then, and even for individuals who receive the vaccine, we should all be doing our part to slow the spread of this virus by wearing masks correctly, avoiding large gatherings, and washing hands.”
Residents in need of masks can pick one up from partner sites across the state, which includes most MDHHS local offices and Community Action Agencies. Find a distribution site at Michigan.gov/MaskUpMichigan or call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
COVID-19 wastewater monitoring project posts preliminary data
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) today posted preliminary results from four of the counties and one of the universities participating in a statewide monitoring program for the COVID-19 virus in wastewater. The early results indicate that COVID-19 can be reliably tested for in wastewater, and the results appear to mirror the presence and spread of the disease in the population.
The county-level results made available today are from testing conducted by Dr. Joan Rose’s laboratory at Michigan State University and represent sites in Genesee, Marquette, Macomb and Manistee counties, starting at the beginning of October through the end of November.
From early October through the end of November, the virus was detected in 100 percent of 18 samples collected from one site in Genesee County, 100 percent of 25 samples from one site in Marquette County, and 100 percent of six samples from one site in Macomb County. At five sites within a single community in Manistee County, the virus was detected in 48.6 percent of the 35 samples collected. In general, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from these sites initially appears to mirror documented transmission within individual sites and communities.
Additionally, most sampling sites detected an increasing trend in the amount of virus present in samples collected from October through November.
Fifteen universities across the state are participating in the pilot project and using environmental surveillance of wastewater in their response to COVID-19 on campus. For instance, the University of Michigan is collecting samples from nine campus buildings and has had positive detections at seven of those sites this fall. Of those samples, 17.7 percent, or 39 of 220 samples, were positive for the virus.
“These initial results show promise for the field of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in Michigan,” said Sarah Lyon-Callo, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health at MDHHS. “This project has demonstrated the feasibility of this laboratory method and local partnerships for a longer-term wastewater surveillance system. Participating laboratories continue to adjust methods to produce the most reliable results, and state and local public health agencies are beginning to interpret the data and incorporate the results into public health responses, when appropriate.”
More detailed analysis of these data is pending, including comparisons to confirmed COVID-19 cases in the corresponding communities during this timeframe. The data are not yet normalized to account for factors that could affect the amount of virus present in samples, such as flow rate and population size. Therefore, these data should be considered preliminary. More information is needed to compare data across wastewater treatment plants or sample sites and to understand the average amount of SARS-CoV-2 shed by people in their feces.
The data cannot currently be used to determine the total number of infected persons in a community or the percent of the population that is infected.
Nineteen laboratories across the state of Michigan are participating in a standardized and coordinated network of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring systems. These labs have been working with local partners to collect and test wastewater samples for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease. The samples are collected from over 270 testing sites, including sewers and wastewater treatment plants. Most local projects are still validating their laboratory testing protocols or are in the early stages of reporting results to local partners.
Monitoring wastewater for the SARS-CoV-2 virus can provide an early warning sign for the presence of disease in a community. This virus is shed in human feces, including in people who are infected but not ill or have not yet become ill, and can be detected in wastewater up to seven days before infections lead to increases in clinical cases. A significant increase in the virus detected in wastewater over time can show that cases may be increasing in a community.
This type of surveillance can be used to detect possible outbreaks in communities and at congregate living facilities, such as college dorms and long-term care facilities, before clinical cases are identified. In the future, local public health agencies can use this wastewater surveillance data, along with corresponding clinical case data, to inform public health decisions to prevent further spread within a community. Wastewater monitoring may also be of use in evaluating future immunization efforts. The state of Michigan is fortunate to have internationally recognized scientific leaders in this area in multiple institutions in the state.
This project is only conducting surveillance for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater and sewage, not drinking water. It is important to note that there is no risk of the SARS-CoV-2 virus being found in properly treated drinking water from either regulated drinking water treatment plants or private wells that are properly installed and maintained.
These preliminary data are available on the State of Michigan Coronavirus Data website as part of the December 15, 2020 slide deck. For more details about this project, visit the EGLE pilot project website and the State of Michigan website on wastewater surveillance.