As COVID-19 cases increase — 13 new in Osceola — doctors and officials say virus is now less deadly

Cases of coronavirus continue to rise throughout the state — including the slow rise in numbers in Osceola County — but health experts and doctors in many corners of the world say the science of the pandemic may be getting a little better.

The Florida Department of Health reported another 1,096 cases of COVID-19 in today’s report, putting the statewide number at exactly 66,000 cases. Fifty-three deaths were also reported for 2,765 total. The DOH reported 13 new Osceola cases (762 total), but no new deaths or related hospitalizations, and according to the county’s dashboard, the number of available hospital beds countywide rose to 239 — although that number hovered in the low 300s a couple weeks ago.

But physicians and scientists in the United States are announcing findings that the disease is getting weaker. One of them, Donald Yealy, the emergency medicine chair, claims “some patterns [of COVID-19] suggest the potency is diminished.” And

Stats from Worldometers, the same site that made stat-based state-by-state predictions on COVID-19 deaths back when the pandemic began, confirm that while the number of new cases worldwide are holding steady or increasing, the number of daily deaths is dropping.

Matteo Bassetti, the head of the infectious diseases clinic at Genoa, Italy’s San Martino hospital, said the virus’ strength isn’t what it was in March and April and that “it is clear that today the COVID-19 disease is different,” although the Italian government is still cautioning to “continue to treat the virus as highly dangerous.”

And, World Health Organization official Maria Van Kerkhove said that while there are instances of asymptomatic coronavirus patients transmitting the virus to others, they are not “a main driver” of new infections. She did clarify Tuesday that some patients transmit the virus before developing symptoms, a group called “presymptomatic.”

What’s it all mean? Keep wearing your masks, stay clear of those who are sick and if you are showing COVID-19 symptoms like fever or a dry cough, get tested at one of Osceola County’s locations.