7:30 LRN Newscast April 20

The state reported 29 additional deaths from COVID-19 yesterday bringing Louisiana’s death toll to 1,296. The number of cases grew by 348, bringing the total to 23,928. The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized decreased by 13 to 1,748. And since April 4th, the number of patients on ventilators declined from 571 to 349. Assistant state health officer Doctor Joseph Kanter says critical care specialists are finding success in having the sickest coronavirus patients lay on their stomach because it helps to increase the amount of oxygen into their lungs…
cut 15 (14) “…working well”

Today marks ten years since the BP Oil Spill ravaged the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and environmental scars exist. National Wildlife Federation Gulf of Mexico Restoration Director David Muth says the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was recovering as a species before 2010 but since then…
Cut 7 (09) “…effects.”
Muth says there are also fewer successful births of coastal bottlenose dolphins and corals in several locations have permanent oil damage.

Louisiana Tech freshman mechanical engineering major, Avereigh Barras, is using a three-D printer to make ear guards also known as mask strap extenders for medical workers. Barras says her invention as received rave reviews, because it takes pressure off the back of the ears. Barras hopes to make two-thousand of them in the first two weeks…
cut 5 (13) “….some bigger hospitals”
Barras has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of shipping and manufacturing.