State positivity jumps to 6.7 percent

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

Positivity rate jumps to 6.7%, 1,524 new cases reported

Connecticut announced 1,524 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, substantially raising the one-day positivity rate (the percentage of tests that are positive) to 6.7 percent. There were 52 new hospitalizations, for a total of 548 COVID patients currently in the hospital, and nine more deaths, bringing the total number of COVIDrelated deaths in the state to 4,707.

40 percent of patients experience severe ringing in the ears

A sizable portion of people with COVID-19 experience exacerbated tinnitus (ringing in the ears), according to new research. An international group of researchers found that 40 percent of people with symptomatic COVID-19 said their tinnitus got worse. The good news is that 6 percent said their tinnitus got a little better, and 54 percent said there was no change. Lockdowns may have had an effect, too, according to the study: “Pre-existing tinnitus was significantly exacerbated for those self-isolating, experiencing loneliness, sleeping poorly and with reduced levels of exercise. Increased depression, anxiety, irritability and financial worries further significantly contributed to tinnitus being more bothersome during the pandemic period.”

Respiratory illnesses becoming less common may not be a good thing

There has been a much lower incidence of common respiratory illnesses (like RSV and the flu) during the pandemic, but researchers at Princeton University said that it wasn’t necessarily good news. As NPIs (nonpharmaceutical interventions, like masks and social distancing) are in place, people could become more susceptible to these common diseases, resulting in a stronger comeback. “While this reduction in cases could be interpreted as a positive side effect of COVID-19 prevention, the reality is much more complex,” study author Rachel Baker said. “Our results suggest that susceptibility to these other diseases, such as RSV and flu, could increase while NPIs are in place, resulting in large outbreaks when they begin circulating again.”

Existing drugs can curb an influx of cytokine that is a factor in deaths

A cytokine storm is the human body’s immune response to infection. It’s when the immune system goes awry, causing all sorts of inflammation — so much so that it is one of the reasons people die from a COVID-19 infection. A new study shows that two chemicals in particular are responsible for generating that cytokine storm, as Science News reported, and that existing drugs might help curb that effect. It’s worked in mice, but immunologist Thirumala-Devi Kanneganti said whether it will work in humans is another question. “I know my colleagues have cured mouse COVID,” he told Science News. But “most of the time when you do the trials in people, they turn out to be negative.”

Working from home has potential health benefits

A report from the CDC suggests that working from home has some potential health benefits. The findings suggests that, of the COVID-19 patients sampled, patients were more likely to test positive for a coronavirus infection if they had gone in-person to work or school, suggesting that alternative methods are preferable. “Most community exposures were not associated with teleworking,” the CDC said.