COVID-19 Update August 14

COVID-19 Update August 14

Total: 291 confirmed cases
1 out of every 102 Salem residents has been infected.
Salem Today: 1 new case, 11 active cases.

• • • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT• • • • • •

There is another Salem resident who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Over the past three weeks, we’ve averaged one new case every other day.
The number of new infections is up to 43. The daily average over the previous week is 26 per day.
Manchester numbers are back up. Once again, they have fifty active cases.
Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties accounted for 82% of all NH infections for a long time. On July 22, it fell to 81%. Today it dropped again, to 80%.

On Wednesday, I questioned the astronomically high number (5,052) of tests that were reported by NH DHHS. Then yesterday, they reported that a total of 181,616 people had been tested. Today, they report a total of 181,285 people were tested — 331 people less than yesterday. It appears that there was a correction made in today’s numbers. The daily average of the last three days is 1,962, which is much more believable. (The average of the week before Wednesday was 1,346.)
A negative number in test results affects the number of negative test results.
A negative number in test results means a negative positivity rate. Comparing the number of new diagnoses and the number of tests from Tuesday to today results in an average positivity rate of 1.75%. The past week is 1.46% positivity rate.
While Massachusetts is being looked at as potentially the next hotspot, and there are certainly some MA communities that aren’t doing well with their positivity rates, I come up with less than 1% positive results out of all of the whole state’s changes.
NH DHHS likes to make life challenging. They report the number of children 18 and younger in their press release, but they report kids as up to 19 on the dashboard. Today they reported eight kids in the press release, but the dashboard went up by ten, suggesting that two 19-year-olds were infected.

Current hospitalizations in NH continue to fall, with just 13 patients currently hospitalized.

• • • • • DIAGNOSTIC TESTS IN NH • • • • • •

New positive cases per DHHS: 43
My new positive cases (Total of today’s cases minus yesterday’s total): 43
Children under 18 in new cases: 8
Total positive cases in NH: 6,964
Percentage of tests that are positive: Based on today’s test results -12.99%. With correct numbers, it’s likely less than 2%.
Active cases: 323. (We were down to 305 two days ago.)
Percentage of positive cases that are still active: 4.6%
New cases in Rockingham County: 7
Total cases in Rockingham County: 1,719
Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 80%
Total PCR tests results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): -331 (See explanation in Spotlight)
The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 1,433
New negative PCR cases in NH: -374
Total negative cases in NH: 174,321

• • • • • OTHER TEST RESULTS • • • • • •

New antibody tests: 107
Total antibody tests (No break down of positive vs. negative): 28,458
The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 104
Children diagnosed with MIS-C: (as of 5/22/2020): 1

• • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • •

Announced today: 28
Total Recovered: 6,218
Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 89.3%

• • • • • HOSPITALIZATIONS IN NH • • • • • •

New: 1
Current: 13
Total Hospitalized: 706
Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 10.14%
Percentage of those who have been hospitalized that are still in the hospital: 1.8%

• • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • •

Lives lost today: 1
Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 1
Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 423
NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 6.1%
Lives lost in Rockingham today: 0

These are not simply numbers. We must not forget that these are all someone’s husband or wife, mother or father, sister or brother, son or daughter, friend or neighbor.

It frustrates me when NH DHHS makes an error and then covers it up like they did today. People make mistakes; I just wish they would admit their errors. When they simply make an adjustment like this, it takes a lot longer for me to put together my report, because I need to figure out when and where the discrepancies occurred. They need to be more transparent.

Maybe they have just been busy putting together their new dashboard. A lot more “snapshot” data is available on the website – info as to how things stand at a given time. Unfortunately, there is no historical data.

We are all getting tired. And with fatigue comes errors. Also with fatigue comes the tendency to let down our guard. If we want to keep our state open, we have to act responsibly. Have a great weekend, stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie

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