Current Covid-19 Cases, Deaths and Backlogged Cases Will Now Be Reported Separately by Metro Health
September 6, 2020 - San Antonio
An update on how Covid-19 cases are reported. “The public relies on our daily updates to understand the current extent of the Covid-19 pandemic in our community, and the inclusion of past cases and deaths confuses this,” said Assistant City Manager and Interim Metro Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger in a statement Friday. Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada - Staff Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Starting Sunday, Metro Health will streamline its Covid-19 data by reporting only current cases and deaths on a daily basis and reporting all cases and deaths older than 14 days on a weekly basis
- Backlogged cases will be reported in aggregate every Sunday at 7 p.m. on the City’s Covid-19 information website
Starting Sunday, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will streamline its Covid-19 data by reporting only current cases and deaths on a daily basis and reporting all cases and deaths older than 14 days on a weekly basis. The Texas Department of State Health Services recently handed down the following guidance to all local health departments:
“So that state and local Covid-19 data will most accurately reflect the current situation in your community, we encourage you to report cases arising from older testing as backlogged cases, and more recent cases as new. This will help us ensure that estimates of active and recovered patients are as accurate as possible.”
Metro Health will report backlogged cases in aggregate every Sunday at 7 p.m. on the City’s Covid-19 information website. Demographic data of backlogged cases and deaths will also be reported on Sunday night, along with whether those cases are associated with congregate settings, according to a City press release.
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“The public relies on our daily updates to understand the current extent of the Covid-19 pandemic in our community, and the inclusion of past cases and deaths confuses this,” said Assistant City Manager and Interim Metro Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger in a statement Friday. “We want to make sure the public gets up-to-date information from these daily reports so they can best determine how to reduce their risk.”
At present, the State provides Metro Health with death information obtained from death certificates and other sources, which Metro Health then investigates to confirm whether the deaths are Covid-19-related.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer at the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.