Today Allegheny Co. is reporting no new COVID-19 cases. This is the first time this has happened since the coronavirus appeared in the county! But before we get too excited, note that yesterday there were 27 new cases. While on Monday, there were just 7 new cases.

It's very possible there's a backlog of postive test results. It's better to focus on the hospitalization rate and overall positive rate of tests. The county says fewer people are being hospitalized--good news! Also percent of tests that have positive results has 1-2 %. Yay!

Why is this happening? No one really knows. But my guess is that nursing homes have gotten better at getting outbreaks under control. People are still working from home. The weather is helping. Stores still limit the number of people who can enter. ALSO MASKS.

WEAR. A. MASK.

Today we still saw a small (+1) increase in hospitalizations. And three more people have died.

The county says "Today’s report of no new cases of COVID-19 does not reflect the real-time spread of the coronavirus in Allegheny County. It often takes 2 to 3 days for labs to report new positive cases...

...We continue to have COVID-related deaths and hospitalizations in our county. The risk of infection has not subsided, and we must continue to take steps like keeping 6 feet from others, wearing masks, washing hands and staying home if we’re sick."

A second wave continues to be a very real possiblity. Every single public health/medical professional & epidemoglosit I've spoken with tells me a second wave is still very possible...espeically in the fall.

If we get careless now, things can get really, really bad again.

*epidemiologist

All this being said...it's interesting that with the recent large BLM demonstrations, there hasn't been an increase in cases. This might be because these events have been outside & participatnts are deligent about wearing masks, despite discomfort.