Ask The (COVID-19) Answer Person: About the case numbers

Posted: Sun, Nov 8, 2020 5:35 PM

(Angela asks: "Do the reported Winneshiek County COVID case numbers include the cases in public schools and those cases at Luther College?")

The Answer Person says: "According to Winneshiek County Public Health Nursing Service RN Nancy Sacquitne, "numbers do include Luther students and public and parochial schools."

(Dewey asks: "In your stories on Covid-19 cases, isn't it more important to share the number of active cases in each county. This pandemic has been going on most of the year, and the total # of cases spread over a number of months mean nothing to the present day. Wouldn't local residents be more apt to follow the medical guidelines if they knew how many cases are currently in their community?"):

The Answer Person says: "Our coverage is evolving, based on feedback we get. So we're making a point now to publicize BOTH the total number of cases in a county and the number of active cases. We'd suggest, though, that what's most important in giving a picture of what's happening with COVID-19 cases are the TRENDS of the statistics, no matter which one is used. Adding more than 100 new cases in eight days is important information."