As a service to our readers, The Sentinel-Record publishes updates released by the city of Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas.
The following stats were posted Wednesday on the Arkansas Department of Health website:
• 250,725 cumulative confirmed cases, up 459 from Tuesday.
• 267.14 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, up seven from Tuesday.
• 2,618,676 PCR test reports, up 8,839 from Tuesday.
• 9.6% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 816,730 vaccine doses received, up 22,500 from Tuesday.
• 517,445 doses given, up 16,531 from Tuesday.
• 66,671 cumulative probable cases, up 344 from Tuesday.
• 17.8% cumulative antigen infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 4,676 active confirmed and probable cases, down 131 from Tuesday.
• 307,306 recoveries of confirmed and probable cases, up 924 from Tuesday.
• 496 hospitalizations, down 49 from Tuesday.
• 100 cases on a ventilator, up one from Tuesday.
• 4,330 confirmed deaths, up nine from Tuesday.
• 1,057 probable deaths, up one from Tuesday.
• 2,018 nursing home deaths, up three from Tuesday.
• 8,089 cumulative confirmed cases in Garland County, up 12 from Tuesday.
• 11.71 rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases, down 11.72 from Tuesday.
• 95,011 PCR and antigen test reports, up 290 from Tuesday.
• 70,719 private lab reports, up 203 from Tuesday
• 24,292 public lab reports, up 87 from Tuesday.
• 9.8% cumulative PCR infection rate, no change from Tuesday.
• 181 active confirmed cases in Garland County, down 32 from Tuesday.
• 7,717 recoveries of confirmed cases in Garland County, up 40 from Tuesday.
• 1,483 cumulative probable cases in Garland County, up 24 from Tuesday.
• 66 active probable cases in Garland County, up 15 from Tuesday.
• 191 confirmed deaths in Garland County, no change from Tuesday.
• 40 probable deaths, no change from Tuesday.
The more than 30 new infections reported Wednesday in Garland County ranked fourth statewide, but the county’s polymerase chain reaction-confirmed infection curve fell to early October levels.
Wednesday’s rolling seven-day average of new confirmed cases was 50% lower than Tuesday’s average, a product of the 12 new confirmed cases reported Wednesday replacing the 94 reported the previous Wednesday. Wednesday’s average was 61% lower than the county’s summer peak and 90% lower than the overall peak the county hit Jan. 11.
The drop in new infections has coincided with fewer calls fielded by the Hot Springs/Garland County COVID-19 Call Center. According to a news release the city of Hot Springs issued Wednesday, the call center has been discontinued. COVID-19 updates and information are still available at http://www.cityhs.net/covid-19.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed Wednesday that Janssen Biotech Inc.’s single-shot viral vector vaccine is 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe symptoms and 85% effective against more serious illnesses.
According to the agency’s website, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will discuss issuing an emergency use authorization for the vaccine Friday. Janssen is a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the viral vector vaccine uses a modified version of a common virus that causes cold-like symptoms to instruct cells how to make the coronavirus’ spike protein.
An Israeli health maintenance organization said earlier this month that 608 people in a clinical trial of more than 600,000 Israelis who received two shots of Pfizer’s messenger RNA-based vaccine tested positive for the virus more than a week after receiving their second dose.
Maccabi HMO said more than 20,000 people in the control group of 528,000 Israelis who weren’t vaccinated tested positive. Of the 608 people who tested positive in the experimental group, most reported mild symptoms such as headaches or cough.