Health officials: Missouri COVID-19 cases now top 4,000

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s health department on Saturday reported 13 new deaths from COVID-19, raising the states overall toll to 109.

It also reported 225 more confirmed cases of the disease with the state’s overall count now at 4,024 cases.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The Missouri Hospital Association said Friday that revenues at Missouri hospitals have fallen by half due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying hospitals may be losing 32 million daily, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

“Hospital staffing is approximately half of the cost of operations,” said Dave Dillon, Missouri Hospital Association vice president for public relations. “At the same time — despite the fact that we may be in the calm before the (coronavirus) storm — utilization is down in general.”

Springfield’s two hospital systems recently furloughed some employees and reassigned others.