TUESDAY UPDATES: MU researchers find COVID-19 reinfection rate less than 1% for those with severe illness

A study conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and MU Health Care showed that more than 9,000 U.S. patients with severe COVID-19 infection showed less than 1% contracted the illness again, with an average reinfection time of 3.5 months after an initial positive test.

The study reviewed data from 62 U.S. health care facilities and found 63 of the 9,119 patients (0.7%) with severe COVID-19 infection contracted the virus a second time.

“Our analysis also found asthma and nicotine dependence were associated with reinfection,” said lead researcher Adnan I. Qureshi, MD, a professor of clinical neurology at the MU School of Medicine. “However, there was a significantly lower rate of pneumonia, heart failure and acute kidney injury observed with reinfection compared with primary infection.”

Boone County reports 117th coronavirus related death

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting the 117th coronavirus-related death. It is the 32nd coronavirus-related death this year; there were 85 in 2020. Officials report the death occurred on May 21 and the individual was in the 80+ age group

The county is reporting 10 new COVID-19 cases.

There are currently 59 active cases in the county.

The county now has a reported total number of COVID-19 cases of 18,644.

The county has reported the total number of cases removed from isolation is 18,468.

The health department's hospital status remains in yellow.

The health department is reporting five Boone County residents are in the hospital due to the coronavirus.

There are a total of 30 people hospitalized at a Boone County hospital due to the coronavirus.

The dashboard is showing seven COVID-19 patients in the ICU and three patients on a ventilator.

The State of Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard is reporting that 88,991 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 78,437 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses.

Boone County has the largest percentage of people in Mid-Missouri that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 49.3%. The second closest in the state is St. Louis County with 47.3%.

Boone County is first in the state with a reported 43.5% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Charles County is second in the state with 40.2% of residents have completed the doses for vaccination.

Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 39.6%. Montgomery County is third with 35.7%.

Community coronavirus vaccine clinics scheduled in Boone County

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and Human Services will host five community coronavirus vaccination clinics on Thursday and Saturday this week.

• From 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Columbia Public Library
• From 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Bear Creek Family Townhomes
• From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday during the Hallsville 4-H and FFA Youth Expo at the Hallsville Fairgrounds
• From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Juneteenth Block Party at Douglass Park
• And from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at World Refugee Day at the MU Health Care Pavilion at 1701 W. Ash St.

No appointment is needed for any of the clinics, which will offer both the two-shot Pfizer and single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for people age 12 and older and the Johnson & Johnson shot can be given to people 18 and older.

The shots are being given free of charge.

More than 49% of Boone County residents have gotten at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, with about 44% having completed vaccination, according to the state's online coronavirus dashboard.

More than 20 new COVID-19 deaths recorded in Missouri

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services added 25 new deaths to the total Tuesday Morning, which is the latest addition to the death toll as a part of the state's weekly analysis of death certificates.

The deaths date back to December, but with a majority happening last month. Now, the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 9,222.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services also reported 384 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 516,441.

The state's positivity rate went up slightly now sitting at 5.5%. According to the states COVID-19 dashboard, Missouri has seen a 16.5% increase in cases over the last 7 days.

The state also added 196 probable antigen cases of the virus to the dashboard Monday, bringing the total, to 90,424.

According to the state's vaccine dashboard, 42.9% of Missourians have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 36.5% have completed vaccination.

In total, 4,717,724 doses of the vaccine have been put into the arms of residents in the Show-Me State.