WASHINGTON CO. JIC NOTES DISCREPANCIES IN COUNTY, STATE COVID-19 DATA
Washington County health officials are working on finding the reason for some large differences in COVID-19 data reported by the county versus what is reported by the state.
The county’s latest case count, updated Monday, indicates there are 400 positive cases of COVID-19 in the county, with 185 active cases, 181 recoveries, and 34 deaths. However, while the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) does report the same amount of deaths as of Tuesday, it also reports the positive case count sits at 396, with only 92 active cases and 262 recoveries.
Michael Oberhelman, one of the EMS officials involved in handling coronavirus data for the Washington County Joint Information Center (JIC), said the information shown on the statewide COVID-19 dashboard is from the DSHS office in Austin. Meanwhile, the county gets its numbers from the DSHS Public Health Region 7 headquarters in Temple, which serves a 30 county area in Central Texas.
Oberhelman said the county has reached out multiple times since June about the discrepancy in numbers that the county is seeing, but the state has not been able to provide a reason behind the “drastic difference” in data, particularly in recoveries. He said, as of now, the county can only report what information is given to it from Public Health Region 7.
Oberhelman said the inconsistency has caused a “fair amount of confusion”, which is why the county has been attempting to determine the reason behind the differences in numbers in order to provide the public with the most accurate information possible. He said he will pass along further information as soon as the county hears an update on “closing the gap on these numbers”.
I might be overlooking something, but It seems to me that to do accurate accounting all that is required is 1) the total number of residents in a given area, 2) the number of those residents that have been tested, 3) the number of those tests that have come back positive, and 4) the current status of those positive cases. All other data groupings such as recoveries, deaths, non-infected persons and percentages can be extrapolated from that. There was some questioning of what constituted a “recovery”; I think that it was determined by two negative result tests a day or two apart.
The fact that no one at the state has been able to, since June, explain the differences, probably gives some idea as to how the entire situation is managed.
What’s the old saying–“figures don’t lie, but liars make figures”…
This is the main problem with the numbers.
They are sensationalized and not reported fairly or accurately, which is making many people fearful of doing anything, going anywhere.
They never tell you how many people were tested, or if positive, the level of severity.
99.4% of people will be just fine, butvthey don’t say it like that .
They say more positive tests, this is spreading, the sky is falling, everybody hide and cover.
Hospitals get more money for every “positve” case.
Don’t believe all that they tell you.
They only tell you what they think you should know.
SAD!
Actually if you go to the Texas Department of Health website you can see how many people were tested, the percent positive, etc. For example, the test positivity in Texas now is about 14% which is not good and signals a lot of spread.
You can also view hospitalizations, availability of beds, etc for each region. All of these numbers are there and advertised. Nobody is hiding anything from you.
They do not report those numbers openly AH.
I am glad to hear that is available information, but, all I see on all news sites is not that detailed.
That makes too much sense J.D, but the manufactured fear has taken root and those that believe won’t listen to anything else. The problem that I have and I feel many others is the constant conflicting information and the way a virus has been turned into a political platform.
J.D.- The Federal Government now recommends that you wear a blindfold along with your face mask to protect you from seeing what is really going on!!
Really don’t know what to believe anymore. So much misinformation out. Just saw a news story out of Florida where a 98.2 percent of people tested werewolf they were positive. When investigating the lab they found only 9.8 percent were actually positive. Had a family member get tested last week because she had symptoms. Was told she tested negative. But doctor at hospital told her she was “ presumably positive “. So she will be listed as a positive case. Although she tested negative. So I truly don’t know what is true anymore