Active COVID cases sink to single digits over weekend

Posted 9/1/20

The number of known, active cases of COVID-19 in Park County dropped to the lowest level in months over the weekend, according to figures from local health officials.

As of late Sunday night, …

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Active COVID cases sink to single digits over weekend

Posted

The number of known, active cases of COVID-19 in Park County dropped to the lowest level in months over the weekend, according to figures from local health officials.

As of late Sunday night, the county had six active cases, with half of those being in Yellowstone National Park and none in Powell, said Park County Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin. That’s down from the 10 active cases Billin reported back on Aug. 19 and from the 13 he reported on Aug. 25.

However, the Wyoming Department of Health reported four new cases on Monday, likely sending Park County’s active case numbers back into double-digits.

The state’s figures also continue to differ significantly from those reported by Billin. Department data updated Monday listed 39 active infections in Park County — including the four new cases — with 164 confirmed and probable cases minus 125 recoveries. In contrast, Billin’s figures from Sunday listed a total of 183 cases with 177 recoveries, leaving only the six active cases.

In a Thursday email, Billin said he doesn’t know how the Department of Health tabulates their active cases, but that his local figures come directly from the REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) database used to track COVID-19 cases. The health officer said he reports someone as having recovered once their isolation period is over.

Billin did say that he and the department are reporting different numbers when it comes to the total number of cases, as he is including a wider range of cases.

The Wyoming Department of Health only counts cases for permanent residents of Park County, he said, while “I use the database to report all positive cases in Park County.”

“I feel that anyone testing positive in Park County (1) was in the County, (2) was infected with COVID-19, and (3) potentially contributed to transmission in Park County,” Billin explained.

Among the 3,842 confirmed or probable cases documented in the state since the pandemic began, 37 Wyomingites have died in connection with COVID-19 infections. A total of 16 people were hospitalized with the disease on Monday, according to state data, including three patients in Worland. A few Park County residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in recent months, but all have recovered.

Billin said last week that recent samples drawn from the City of Cody’s wastewater has indicated that roughly 0.8% of the people using the sewer system were or had recently been infected.

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