4 US State Prisons: 3,300 Inmates Test Positive For CV, 96% With No Symptoms: AR, OH, VA, NC

[appalachiablue]

In 4 US state prisons, nearly 3,300 inmates test positive for coronavirus- 96% w/o symptoms, Reuters, 4/26/20.

When the first cases of the new coronavirus surfaced in Ohio’s prisons, the director in charge felt like she was fighting a ghost. “We weren’t always able to pinpoint where all the cases were coming from,” said Annette Chambers-Smith, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. As the virus spread, they began mass testing. They started with the Marion Correctional Institution, which houses 2,500 prisoners in north central Ohio, many of them older with pre-existing health conditions.
After testing 2,300 inmates for the coronavirus, they were shocked. Of the 2,028 who tested positive, close to 95% had no symptoms. “It was very surprising,” said Chambers-Smith, who oversees the state’s 28 correctional facilities.

As mass coronavirus testing expands in prisons, large numbers of inmates are showing no symptoms. In four state prison systems -- Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia -- 96% of 3,277 inmates who tested positive for the coronavirus were asymptomatic, according to interviews with officials and records reviewed by Reuters. That’s out of 4,693 tests that included results on symptoms.

The numbers are the latest evidence to suggest that people who are asymptomatic — contagious but not physically sick -- may be driving the spread of the virus, not only in state prisons that house 1.3 million inmates across the country, but also in communities across the globe. The figures also reinforce questions over whether testing of just people suspected of being infected is actually capturing the spread of the virus.

"It adds to the understanding that we have a severe undercount of cases in the U.S.,” said Dr. Leana Wen, adjunct associate professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, said of the Reuters findings. “The case count is likely much, much higher than we currently know because of the lack of testing and surveillance."
Some people diagnosed as asymptomatic when tested for the coronavirus, however, may go on to develop symptoms later, according to researchers.

The United States has more people behind bars than any other nation, a total incarcerated population of nearly 2.3 million as of 2017 -- nearly half of which is in state prisons...

More, http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-four-us-state-prisons-nearly-3300-inmates-test-positive-for-coronavirus-96percent-without-symptoms/ar-BB13c1sD?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15

[Botany]

1. 2,028 cases 50 miles north of me @ Marion State Penn and 200 or so cases 15 miles from ...

... me @ the State Prison Hospital in Columbus, OH.

[MineralMan]

2. This is very instructive.

Apparently, the only place where we are doing extensive population testing is in prisons. That testing is revealing a good deal about the percentages of infected people who develop symptoms.

On a larger scale, and outside of the prison environment, I would suspect that the prevalence of infected persons is much higher than has been previously understood. Of course, prison environments make exposure to the virus much more likely, but I'd also think that prison life is not conducive to good health among the residents.

So, perhaps this is positive news for most people. Perhaps infection is not as dangerous as one might think, percentage-wise.

[superpatriotman]

3. In the Ohio prison

2300 of 2500 prisoners were tested. Over 2000 of those tested positive. Of the positive 95% were asymptomatic.

I see this as a positive.

[ismnotwasm]

4. It is not as dangerous in a way.

It’s a weird virus that does weird things and quickly kills a small percentage of people. I wish we had more info and far more testing

Yesterday, I tried to comfort a high risk patient who is “embarrassed” about their extreme self isolating. Told them they could take a walk, leave their house as long as they took proper precautions. It’s worth noting that this virus would likely kill them. So virus shedders walking around symptom free isn’t exactly good news for them.

The people I know personally one got really sick, one had mild symptoms. Another had no symptoms. Nobody required hospitalization.


We’ve had a number of covid deaths in my hospital. As of our last count, if you want some good news, we have 8 patients with covid. The highest was around 20. This is far less than other hospitals. I’ve had two exposures that I know of, but since we are screening and barring allowing visitors, the exposures I’ve could have had are obviously minimized.

So this whole is shaking out strangely. Does asymptotic mean one never gets sick? How widespread are these positives? Only in confined quarters like prisons and nursing homes?

[MineralMan]

5. There is still so much we don't know.

This has only been going on for about four months. These stories from prisons, where people can't avoid exposure, demonstrate just how infectious COVID-19 is. What is the incidence of infections in the general population? We have no idea.

The lack of testing, except for active patients and mostly those admitted to hospitals, reveals nothing, except that some people are getting sick enough to be hospitalized. We still have no idea how many people have been exposes or have the virus in their systems. We simply don't know.

I'm staying at home, and only venturing out about once a week to shop. My wife is doing the same. We share the shopping, and we are very, very careful about it.

I have a feeling that widespread testing would show a lot of people with positive tests for the virus. Most probably have no symptoms, or have minor symptoms. We really need to know that to get a handle on morbidity numbers. For now, we know almost nothing.

On the other hand, we have that prison, where almost everyone tests positive. Yet, few are sick. In the Fall, we will probably send college students back to the dorms and children to the schools. That is going to introduce a new element into the picture.

We need more information that only widespread testing can provide, but the people in charge are working against such testing. It's a very, very odd situation.

[ismnotwasm]

8. It really, really is.

Monday, in my hospital everyone entering will be required to wear a mask, if you don’t have one you will be handed out one.

We went from, “you don’t need one” to “you can wear one if you want, you get one a day” to its mandatory and you will wear a mask at all times and here is the protocol for eating and drinking.

[MineralMan]

9. Stay safe!

[appalachiablue]

6. Could there be different strains of the virus at work?

[ismnotwasm]

7. Good question The novel virus will mutate obviously but I don't know if it already has.

We put people who have a corona virus infection in droplet isolation way before this started, I mean, it’s one of so many viruses.

The lack of knowledge is the scary part in my mind