NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,375 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The department said 36 additional deaths were reported.
TDOH officials said today's update brings the state's total number of cases to 139,175. The statewide death toll has risen to 1,488.
The department said 87 new hospitalizations were reported and said 1,882 more people have recovered.
The total COVID-19 case count for Tennessee is now 139,175 as of August 20, 2020 including 1,488 deaths, 6,156 hospitalizations and 100,967 recovered. [Percent positive for today is 7.37%.] For additional data, go to https://t.co/Psc3HfgZ8j. pic.twitter.com/GIGgTSAWpY
— TN Dept. of Health (@TNDeptofHealth) August 20, 2020
Gov. Bill Lee held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to discuss the ongoing pandemic and how the state is responding to the reopening of schools.
Watch the full briefing below:
Earlier in the day, Metro Public Health officials reported 144 new cases. The health department said one additional death was reported.
Including both confirmed and probable cases, Metro health officials announced a total of 24,840 cases. Of those total cases, 24,748 are confirmed. There have been three new probable cases in the past 24 hours.
Probable cases refer to those that do not test positive in a diagnostic test but do have supporting epidemiological and clinical evidence that a COVID-19 infection has occurred. If a person is a close contact of a COVID-19 case and has a clinically compatible illness, he or she meets the criteria to be a probable case. Additionally, if a health care provider diagnoses a person with clinically compatible illness with COVID-19, this person meets the probable case criteria.
Officials said an additional confirmed death has been reported in the past 24 hours, a 77-year-old woman with underlying health conditions.
As of Thursday, 215 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 224 deaths have been attributed to the virus.
So far, 21,978 individuals have recovered. Right now, there are 2,638 active cases in Davidson County.
Watch the full briefing below:
New cases per 100,000 people: 24.2
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 10.8
Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 16 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 11 percent
The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 51 calls on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.
Total number of cases: 24,840
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 144
Cases by sex
Male: 12,421
Female: 12,124
Unknown: 295
Cases by age
| Unknown | 54 |
| 0-10 | 1,229 |
| 11-20 | 2,546 |
| 21-30 | 7,339 |
| 31-40 | 5,030 |
| 41-50 | 3,482 |
| 51-60 | 2,487 |
| 61-70 | 1,513 |
| 71-80 | 702 |
| 81+ | 458 |
| Total | 24,840 |
| Recovered | 21,978 |
| Deaths | 224 |
| Total active cases | 2,638 |
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Department of Health reported 2,022 new cases, bringing the state's overall total to 137,800.
MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE
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- Walmart pharmacies in Tennessee now offering COVID-19 vaccines
- Donate to the COVID-19 Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund
See all our coronavirus coverage here
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
