COVID-19 Update September 14

COVID-19 Update September 14

Total: 317 confirmed cases in Salem
1 out of every 93 Salem residents have been infected
Salem Today: 0 new cases, 10 active cases

• • • • TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT • • • • • •

For the second time in the past week, and the second day in a row, a Salem resident was not reported with a new COVID-19 infection. One of the Salem residents with infections has been reported as “recovered.”
NH DHHS has reported only 18 new people confirmed to have COVID-19 in NH.
The positivity rate today was 1.41%.
Per NH DHHS’s dashboard, there were two kids aged 0-9 and five youth aged 10-19 infected today, for a total of 10 kids – more than half of the infections reported today. NH DHHS reported in their press release that 5 kids under 18 were infected, so presumably, there are 5 youth aged 18-19 who are newly infected.
So far, no Salem students are showing up with on the state’s COVID-19 school dashboard, although we have been told that there is at least one student who was diagnosed with COVID several days ago, and I’ve been notified that there is another Salem High School student that has been diagnosed. Windham High School shows 4 infections and two recovered cases, although news reports are claiming at least 18 students have been infected. (NHPR reported that Health Commissioner Lori Shibinette noted that the state’s COVID-19 school dashboard is not always exactly the data that the schools themselves may report. It is similar to the state’s reports, and individual nursing homes’ announcements. There is always a lag between the Division of Public Health reports because the state does not add and disclose numbers until it completes its contact investigation.)
Schools with active infections per NH DHHS are:
- Pre School: None.
- Elementary Schools: Bartlett Elementary (Manchester), 1; Barrington Elementary (2)
- Middle Schools: None
- High Schools: Coe Brown (Northwood), 1; New Hampton School, 1, 1 recovered); Tilton School, 1; Windham High, 4, 2 recovered
- College/University: Colby-Sawyer (1); Dartmouth (2, 1 recovered); Keene State (2, 3 recovered); Nashua Community (1); NE College-Henniker (3, 2 recovered); NE College-Manchester (1, 2 recovered); Plymouth State (3); Rivier Univ (1, 1 recovered); UNH-Durham (30, now 49 recovered, 1 cluster – the only cluster in a NH school); UNH-Manchester (0, now 3 recovered).

Of the towns that are on my watch, most had no change in their cumulative total. Those with increases were Manchester (6); Hanover (4); Hudson (2); Windham (2); Bedford (1); Exeter (1); Merrimack (1); and Nashua (1).
Of the towns that have more than 5 active cases, every single one has the same or fewer cases today than yesterday. Manchester, Pelham, Derry, and Salem have one less, and Durham is -2.
Like a yoyo, for the third time in five days, the number of active cases in NH has gone back down to under 300.
There was no increase in the number of people who have been hospitalized today, there are still 7 people in NH who are currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

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

New positive cases per DHHS: 18
My new positive cases (Total of today’s cases minus yesterday’s total): 18
Children under 18 in new cases: 5
Total positive cases in NH: 7,714
Percentage of today’s tests that are positive: 1.41%
Total PCR tests results reported today (Positive results plus negative results): 1,274
The daily average of diagnostic (PCR) tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 1,265
New negative results reported today: 1,256
Total negative cases in NH: 224,102

• • • • Rockingham County • • • • • •

Total cases in Rockingham County: 1,922
New cases in Rockingham County: 2
Rockingham County: New cases per 100K residents: 0.6
Rockingham County 1-week average per 100K residents: 3.4
Percent of all cases from Rockingham County: 24.9%
Percent of all cases from either Hillsborough County or Rockingham County: 79%

• • • • Active Cases • • • • • •

Active cases in NH: 291
Active cases in Rockingham County: 94
Percent of NH’s active cases that are in Rockingham County: 32.3%

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

New antibody tests: 20
Total antibody tests (No break down of positive vs. negative): 30,439
The daily average of antibody tests reported from 7 days ago to today: 39
Children diagnosed with MIS-C: (as of 5/22/2020): 1

• • • • RECOVERED IN NH • • • • • •

Announced today: 34
Total Recovered: 6,987
Percentage of diagnosed cases that have recovered: 90.6%

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

New: 0
Current: 7
Total Hospitalized: 721
Percentage of those who have been infected that have been hospitalized: 9.35%

• • • • DEATHS IN NH • • • • • •

Lives lost today: 0
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: 436
NH Residents diagnosed with COVID-19 that died: 5.65%
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.

Today we should be celebrating my Mom’s 94^th birthday, although she has been in heaven for her past 20 birthdays. Scientists did the best for her that they could, with what they knew at that time. If she had become sick just a few years later, perhaps her leukemia could have been cured, or she could have gone into remission and had a number of quality years left to spend with us.

I hate the thought of others losing their parents, siblings, spouses, or children before their time. I can’t protect my Mom or Dad by wearing a mask. But until science catches up with this disease, wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing my hands are the best things that I can do to prevent catching the virus myself or passing it on to others.

There’s a lot of controversy over wearing masks. This shouldn’t have become a political issue – it’s a public health issue. Do masks work? My belief is that masks are like seatbelts: they help most, although not 100%, of the time.

Do I like wearing a mask? No! Is it comfortable? No! Is it responsible? Yes! Is it respectful to those around me, and their parents, grandparents, and other family members? Absolutely.

I believe in science. And I believe in being responsible and respectful. So I wear a mask when I am around others. It’s the right thing to do.

Happy birthday, Mom. You taught me well.

Be respectful. Stay safe, and be like my Mom: Always, be kind.

~Bonnie