More than 1,300 new cases reported in CT

Here are the most important things to know about the coronavirus in Connecticut:

Positivity rate hits 6%; more than 1,300 new cases reported

The state announced 1,319 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, five more deaths and 12 new hospitalizations. The positivity rate has significantly jumped to 6 percent.

Research suggests schools may not be hot spots

Data from worldwide research is showing that schools may not be COVID-19 hot spots. “Despite fears, COVID-19 infections did not surge when schools and day-care centers reopened after pandemic lockdowns eased. And when outbreaks do occur, they mostly result in only a small number of people becoming ill,” the journal Nature reported. Outbreaks in schools were found to be uncommon, even in places where infections were rising.

Harvard study: Flying in an airplane may be safer than grocery shopping

Flying in an airplane may be safer than grocery shopping or dining out, according to a study published Tuesday from researchers at Harvard University’s school of public health. The risk of COVID-19 transmission on a plane will be “below that found in other routine activities during the pandemic, such as grocery shopping or eating out,” the study said, though with a few caveats. There needs to be a multi-layered approach in order to keep passengers and employees safe, including “wearing face masks, disinfection of surfaces and maintenance of appropriate ventilation gate-to-gate.”

CDC: College students contract COVID-19 because of failure to follow protocols

College students are getting COVID-19 because they are not following standard protocols, according to the CDC. Following an investigation into 17 COVID-19 cases at a Chicago college, the CDC determined that “colleges and universities are at risk for COVID-19 outbreaks because of shared housing and social gatherings where recommended prevention guidance is not followed.” The Chicago Department of Public Health was notified in August of a cluster of COVID-19 cases among a university’s men’s and women’s soccer teams. That cluster, the CDC said, was the result of several events, including a birthday party and an unsanctioned game between the men’s and women’s teams.

Decreased death rates could change if hospitals reach capacity again, a study suggests

Death rates are down, but that could change if hospitals reach capacity again, according to a study from researchers at Britain’s University of Exeter Medical School. “In late March, four in 10 people in intensive care were dying. By the end of June, survival was over 80 percent,” John M. Dennis told The New York Times. Dennis’ research showed that a better understanding for how the disease should be treated has played an important role in declining death rates, but also “a falling critical care burden,” the study said.