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September 23 COVID-19 update: 1,561 new cases, 14 additional deaths in Tennessee

Metro reports 64 new cases, 2 additional deaths
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Posted at 9:40 AM, Sep 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-23 16:53:35-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,561 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases reported in the state to 186,709.

Of those cases, 14,785 remain active and 169,649 Tennesseans are now considered recovered.

Fourteen additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Wednesday. TDH has attributed 2,275 deaths to COVID-19.

Statewide, 779 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, an increase of 13 people in the last 24 hours.

Gov. Bill Lee held his weekly update on the coronavirus on Wednesday afternoon, where he primarily discussed its impact on education.

Metro Public Health officials reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths.

Metro officials said today's numbers bring Davidson County's total number of cases to 28,287. Right now, there are 1,015 active cases, and 27,007 individuals are now labeled inactive/recovered.

There have been eight new probable cases in the past 24 hours.

Probable cases refer to those that have supporting epidemiological and clinical evidence that a COVID-19 infection has occurred, regardless of test result. If a person is a close contact of a COVID-19 case and has a clinically compatible illness, he or she can meet the criteria to be a probable case. Additionally, a positive result of an antigen test from a respiratory specimen can meet the criteria to be a probable case. If a health care provider diagnoses a person with clinically compatible illness with COVID-19, this person meets the probable case criteria.

Health officials say there have been two new confirmed deaths reported in the past 24 hours, a 56-year-old man and a 73-year-old man, both with underlying health conditions.

As of Wednesday, 254 people in Davidson County have died after a confirmed case of COVID-19. Including both confirmed and probable cases, 265 deaths have been attributed to the virus.



Metro also released the following data:

New cases per 100,000 people: 14.53
Seven-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests: 4.2

Available Middle Tennessee hospital beds: 16 percent
Available Middle Tennessee ICU beds: 21 percent

The MPHD COVID-19 Hotline received 34 calls on Tuesday, September 22, 2020.

Total number of cases: 28,287
Cases reported in the past 24 hours: 64

Cases by sex
Male: 13,913
Female: 14,085
Unknown: 289

Cases by race
Asian 2.3%
Black or African American 19.2%
Other Race 20.8%
Pending 11.0%
Two or More Races 0.5%
Unknown 11.5%
White 34.6%

Deaths by race
Asian - 7
Black or African American - 99
Other - 18
White - 138
Pending - 3

Deaths by zip code
37013 - 38
37211 - 40
37115 - 27
37207 - 21
37214 - 10
37218 - 12

Cases by age

Unknown57
0-101,376
11-202,999
21-308,317
31-405,708
41-503,923
51-602,834
61-701,752
71-80809
81+512
Total28,287
Inactive/Recovered27,007
Deaths265
Total active cases1,015


MORE TENNESSEE COVID-19 COVERAGE

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.