Posted on by Bonnie

COVID-19 Update October 2

COVID-19 Update October 2

  • Total: 337 confirmed cases in Salem
  •  1 out of every 88 Salem residents have been infected
  •  Salem Today: 6 new cases, 9 active cases 

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

  • Today we have six new confirmed cases in Salem, the most in one day since June 3.
  • One student at Woodbury Middle School showed up today on the school dashboard. (I presume that our Woodbury is the only NH middle school with that name.)
  • UPDATE: It looks like the State made another error. If one downloads the school data, “Woodbury Middle School” is listed as a Salem school with one active case. However, WMUR has reported a case at Peter WOODBURY (Elementary) School, BEDFORD. Salem School Department has done a great job of keeping Salem parens informed. I don’t think this was our Woodbury.

There’s a lot to unpack tonight. The update looks different tonight, because there are so many oddities. I would like to receive answers to the questions I have about the numbers given to us by NH Department of Health and Human Services. I just can’t make the numbers add up! Did we have 99 new cases or 217? That’s a big difference! I’m scratching my head, and pulling my hair out trying to make sense of all this. 

  • Antigen testing:
    • DHHS has been tracking and investigating all reported positive antigen tests since this testing method first became available in New Hampshire.
    • These results were not included in daily case counts because they did not meet national confirmed case criteria.
    • The national criteria have not changed, but DHHS is now including positive antigen tests due to the increasing use of these tests Statewide. 
    • New numbers include those who had antigen testing going back to July:
      • 139 people who had a positive antigen test (How many are active?)
      • 5 hospitalizations
      • One death in the first week of September, a female resident of Rockingham County 60 years of age or older. 
  • Positive Test Results
    • DHHS announced 99 new positive test results today
      • PCR tests: 80 
        • Includes 22 delayed reporting from one lab
        • These 22 are not included in the active case count or positivity rate
      • Antigen tests: 19
    • Hmmm. From yesterday’s total cases to today, there are 217 more.
  • Positivity Rate
    • DHHS reported 0.9% positivity rate 
    • Hmmm. 
    • DHHS reports 2,035 tests and 99 new cases. 99/2035 = 4.86%. I come up with 217 new cases/2,035 = 10.66%.
  • Active cases
    • NH DHHS reported 456 current COVID-19 cases. 
    • Hmmm. Yesterday there were 342 active cases. There were 102 people reported today as recovered. Here’s the math:
      • If there were 99 new cases: 342-102+99=339.
      • If there were 217 new cases: 342-102+217=457. (An adjustment for one person, which DHHS frequently does, would bring it to the expected 456.)
  • Total numbers
    • Today, DHHS reported that the total number of people in New Hampshire diagnosed with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic is 8,534. 
    • Yesterday, the count was 8,317. That’s a 217 person increase. 
  • Hospitalizations:
    • 743 (9%) of those 8,534 have been hospitalized. 
    • DHHS said there were no new hospitalizations today.
    • Yesterday the total number of people hospitalized was 738. The additional five is from the antigen testing. 
    • Currently, 20 patients are hospitalized. Yesterday it was 15.
  • Communities
    • The with significant increases in total cases today include Manchester (+45); Nashua (+28); Bedford (+19); Windham (+13); Goffstown (+10); Derry (+9); Dover (+7); Merrimack (+7); and Salem (+6)
    • Goffstown has more than 250 total cases. Londonderry now has had more than 200 total cases. Hudson hit 150.
    • Communities with significant increases in active cases: Manchester (+31); Nashua (+18); Bedford (+14); Dover (+5) 
  • By ages:
    • 0-9: +13 (2.6% of all cases. 6% of today’s new cases)
    • 10-19: +37 (7.1% of all; 17.1% of today)
    • 20-29: +34 (17.2% of all; 15.6% of today)
    • 30-39: +31 (14.0% of all; 14.3% of today)
    • 40-49: +31 (12.8% of all; 14.3% of today)
    • 50-59: +30 (15.5% of all; 13.8% of today)
    • 60-69: +18 (12.1% of all; 8.3% of today)
    • 70-79: +13 (7.6% of all; 6.0% of today)
    • 80+: +10 (11.1% of all; 4.6% of today)
  • Schools:
    • Preschool: None
    • Elementary: 20 schools have had infections (+2), 14 schools with active cases (+5), 15 kids currently infected (+5)
    • Middle: 8 schools (+2); 5 active schools (+3); 5 Kids (+3)
    • High: 15 schools, 4 active schools, 7 kids
    • College: 14 schools (+1); 9 active schools (+1); 52 kids (+2)
  • There are 3 current COVID-19 outbreaks:
    • Bedford Hills Center (33 Residents, 14 Staff, 2 deaths)
    • Warde Health Center, Windham (3 Residents, 1 Staff, 0 deaths)
    • Mountain View Community, Ossipee (3 Residents, 5 Staff, 0 deaths)
  • Massachusetts
    • New Cases: For the week ending on Wednesday, they averaged 515 new cases per day. The last two days have average 758. 
    • Testing: For the past week, ending on Wednesday, they averaged 17,223 tests per day. Yesterday they had results from 20,163 tests, and today, 22,351.
    • Haverhill and Methuen, Lawrence, Lowell, and Dracut are amongst the 23 Mass communities considered at “high risk” for coronavirus spread. There has been a severe outbreak at Lakeview Nursing Home in Haverhill. Haverhill has suspended all youth sports activities.

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

  • New positive cases per DHHS: 99
  • My new positive cases (Total of today’s cases minus yesterday’s total): 217
  • Children under 18 in new cases: 16
  • Total positive cases in NH: 8,534
  • Percentage of today’s tests that are positive: 4.86%? 10.66%?
  • Total PCR tests results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): 2,035
  • The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 1,784
  • New negative results reported today: 1,818
  • Total negative cases in NH: 269,335

• • • • • • ROCKINGHAM COUNTY • • • • • •

  • Total cases in Rockingham County: 2,106
  • New cases in Rockingham County: 13
  • Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 4.2
  • Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 2.4
  • Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.7%
  • Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 78%

• • • • • • ACTIVE CASES • • • • • •

  • Active cases in NH: 456
  • Active cases in Rockingham County: 86
  • Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 18.9%

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

  • New antibody tests: 36
  • Total antibody tests (No break downs of positive vs. negative): 31,192
  • The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 37

• • • • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Announced today: 102
  • Total Recovered: 7,636
  • Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 89.5%

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

  • New: 0
  • Current: 20
  • Total Hospitalized: 748
  • Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 8.71%

• • • • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • • 

  • Lives lost today: 0 (1 from early Sept reported today)
  • Persons over 60 years of age who died today: 0
  • Persons under 60 years of age who died today: 0
  • Total fatalities in NH associated with COVID-19: 442
  • NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 5.18%
  • 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.

If you are reading this, I’m sure you are aware that the President, First Lady, and many other high-ranking officials have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and that the POTUS has been hospitalized. In an interview today, I was asked if I was surprised to learn that Mr. Trump had been diagnosed.

My answer was that I was not surprised. He has not been doing what his scientific advisors have recommended. He has ignored the advice to avoid big crowds, to practice social distancing, and to wear a mask. 

However, I am sad and concerned. With our President ill, this leaves our country vulnerable. Mr. Trump is not my choice to be our President, but I still wish him a speedy recovery.

It’s a scary time for all of us. It sounds like POTUS was the victim of a super-spreader event, which could have been prevented. I’d like to think that this will be a lesson for all. My guess is, it won’t make a difference. And that, too, makes me sad.

Another weekend is upon us. Stay safe, and always, be kind.

~Bonnie

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