MARYLAND — With the addition of 1,046 new confirmed cases in the past day, the Maryland Department of Health is reporting Wednesday morning that 28,163 people statewide have tested positive for the new coronavirus. So far the state has reported 115,849 negative test results, an increase of 2,863 since the previous day.
A total of 1,338 Marylanders have died from COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, officials reported Wednesday morning. An additional 99 have COVID-19 listed as a cause of death on their death certificates, authorities say, but test results are pending.
In congregate living facilities, 793 residents and 11 staff have died from the virus, meaning they make up about 60 percent of the coronavirus-related deaths in the state, according to data released Wednesday by the Maryland Department of Health. A total of 6,268 residents and staff at these facilities tested positive for the virus, accounting for 22 percent of the state's cases overall.
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Statewide 1,707 people are hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday morning, health officials say; of those, 584 are on the intensive care unit. Since the first confirmed cases of the virus in Maryland on March 5, authorities report 5,497 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19. Officials report 1,903 in Maryland have been released from isolation after having the virus.
Gov. Larry Hogan will update Marylanders on the most recent developments in the state's response to the new coronavirus at a 3 p.m. news conference where he will be joined by State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon and the University of Maryland Medical System's COVID-19 Incident Commander David Marcozzi, M.D.
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As of Wednesday, May 6, it appears that residents in congregate facility settings account for 59.2 percent of all coronavirus deaths in Maryland. With the addition of staff, these facilities account for 60 percent of all deaths from COVID-19 in the state.
Graph courtesy of the Maryland Department of Health.
Testing Sites Across The State
The Maryland Department of Health and local health departments have opened testing sites at these locations, which require a doctor's order and an appointment:
Symptoms of the new coronavirus can appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which lists the following as possible indicators of the illness: fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
Health officials say most people with the virus will experience mild symptoms and can recover at home. Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC.
People should call 911 and seek immediate medical attention if they have trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, new confusion or inability to arouse and/or persistent pain or pressure in the chest.
