Ten more cases of COVID-19 were reported in Fresno County on Saturday, bringing the local total to 201 infections. The latest case count was reported in a news release from the Fresno County Health Department.
Seventy cases have been attributed to community spread, while 36 are travel related and 60 resulted from person-to-person contact, health officals said. Thirty cases remain under investigation.
On Friday, Fresno County health officials confirmed two more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the area total to 5 since the outbreak began. The two deaths were both described as “elderly gentleman” by the county officials.
The Health Department also reported Saturday that 31 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection.
Kings County reported its first death from COVID-19 on Saturday. The information was posted to the county’s health department website. A total of 33 people in Kings County are being monitored with 10 confirmed cases to date, the website reported.
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Still in Surge Planning Mode

Fresno County continues to prepare for a possible surge of COVID-19 patients.
The Fresno Convention Center now houses a 250-bed field hospital site to help alleviate the strain on local hospitals — if it’s needed.

No Antibody Tests in Fresno County

A large team of Stanford Medicine scientists have developed a test to detect antibodies against the novel coronavirus the university said in a release Friday afternoon. The test looks for antibodies to the virus in plasma, the liquid in blood, to provide information about a person’s immune response to an infection.
GV Wire asked interim Fresno County Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra if any of these new tests are coming here.
“We are not currently using the antibody test. We know that that’s going to be an important component of the recovery, just to detect people who have already had the virus and are now recovered.” Vohra said.  “We’re still waiting for state guidance to figure out exactly how the antibody testing will be unrolled and available to patients.”

Antibody Testing in Other California Counties

KABC-TV in Los Angeles reports that COVID-19 antibody testing is being conducted at six drive-thru sites in Los Angeles County on Friday and Saturday.
Pre-selected participants, who were selected based on a random sample, will be checked for immunity against the virus. The county announced Thursday the pilot test program will involve 1,000 adults who will be tested every two weeks to track the virus.
At Stanford University, researchers have begun testing more than 3,000 people.