INDIANAPOLIS — Tuesday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic.
More IU Greek houses quarantined
Five more Greek houses at Indiana University have been ordered to quarantine, bringing to total number to 19 houses so far.
The university says professors are working with impacted students to make sure assignments can be completed remotely.
ISDH update
The Indiana State Department of Health is reporting 721 new cases for a total of 94,891. Nearly one-and-a-half million (1,442,887) people have now been tested for coronavirus in Indiana.
The state also reported 16 more deaths from COVID-19 with a total now of 3,093 since the start of the pandemic.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 6.03 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. as of 3:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 183,000 deaths and nearly 2.18 million people recovered.
Worldwide, there have been 25.48 million confirmed cases with more than nearly 850,000 deaths and 16.82 million recoveries.
The real number of people infected by the virus around the world is believed to be much higher — perhaps 10 times higher in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — given testing limitations and the many mild cases that have gone unreported or unrecognized.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Can I use a face shield instead of a mask?
Health officials don’t recommend the clear plastic barriers as a substitute for masks because of the lack of research on whether they keep an infected person from spreading viral droplets to others.
However, those who want extra protection may want to wear a face shield in addition to a mask.
Face shields have the added benefit of protecting your eyes and discouraging you from touching your face by acting as a physical barrier, says Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator of the biocontainment unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Meanwhile, the available research so far indicates that the best face shields for preventing viral spread are hooded or wrap around the sides and bottom of the face, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s because those shields leave less space for droplets from sneezing, coughing and talking to escape.
If you do wear a reusable face shield in addition to a mask, the CDC notes the importance of cleaning it after each use. The agency also says you should wash your hands before and after taking it off, and avoid touching your face while removing it.
Most stimulus money that went to dead people recovered, Treasury says
The Trump administration says it has recovered nearly 70 percent of the government relief payments that went to dead people.
The Government Accountability Office said Monday it had been told by the Treasury Department that nearly 70 percent of the $1.6 billion that had mistakenly gone to dead people had been recovered.
The GAO said it could not immediately verify that amount but said its auditors were working with Treasury to determine the exact number of payments that have been recovered.
Treasury is also considering sending letters to request the return of the remaining outstanding payments, but has not moved forward with that effort yet, GAO said. Treasury said it was delaying that move because Congress is considering legislation that would clarify or make changes to payment eligibility requirements.