New coronavirus case counts are going down in almost half of US states. But it's too soon to celebrate

In 17 states, the numbers are holding steady, according to an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. And in 9 states, the numbers of new cases are still rising. But that doesn't mean it's time to celebrate and take off face masks in public.

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As states remove more stay-at-home restrictions, it will take weeks to learn the health effects.

A poll shows most Americans aren't yet ready to return to their regular routines, and a new study reveals the virus can be spread just by talking, and airborne particles can linger for eight minutes.

As of Thursday, more than 1.3 million people in the US have been infected with the coronavirus, and more than 84,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins.

By early next week, at least 48 states will be partially reopened.

Wisconsin is among the latest after the state Supreme Court struck down the governor's stay-at-home order Wednesday, calling it "unlawful" and "unenforceable."

It was a victory for Republican state lawmakers, who said Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration overstepped its authority when it extended the order to May 26. Those lawmakers said the order would hurt companies and cost residents their jobs.

Less than an hour after the court's decision, some revelers celebrated by going to bars. Many ignored health officials' guidance to stay 6 feet away from each other.

"When you have more people in a small space -- I don't care if it's bars, restaurants or your home -- you're going to be able to spread the virus," Evers said. "Now we have no plan and no protections for the people of Wisconsin."

A new study reveals talking releases small respiratory droplets that linger in the air for at least eight minutes, potentially explaining why the coronavirus spreads faster in confined spaces.

Talking loudly for one minute in a confined space could generate at least 1,000 speech droplets containing Covid-19 particles, according to an estimate by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania.

"These observations confirm that there is a substantial probability that normal speaking causes airborne virus transmission in confined environments," the study says.

Hospitals and clinics in at least 17 states have reported a condition that seems to be affecting children after they were infected with coronavirus. At least 150 children are under investigation, most of them in New York.

Not all of the affected children have tested positive for the coronavirus, but reports from Europe and from several cities in the US show a link.

"There seems to be delayed responses to Covid infections in these kids," said Dr. Moshe Arditi, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Symptoms include persistent fever, inflammation and poor function in organs such as the kidneys or heart.

Children might also have blood vessel inflammation, such as red eyes, a bright red tongue and cracked lips, Arditi said.

"This multisystem inflammatory syndrome is not directly caused by the virus," said Dr. Jeffrey Burns, a critical care specialist at Boston Children's Hospital. "The leading hypothesis is that it is due to the immune response of the patient."