Union County surpassed 1,500 local COVID-19 cases Friday, adding 13 to its cumulative total to reach 1,510, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The cases in the county Friday included 1,283 confirmed cases, up 10 from Thursday, and 227 probable cases, up three from Thursday.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests that determine confirmed cases are more sensitive than the antigen tests that determine probable cases.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Union County stayed steady at 122 on Friday; they represented 8.1% of all the cases identified locally and included 90 confirmed cases and 32 probable cases. There were 1,332 Union County residents considered recovered from the virus, up 13 from Thursday.
A report on COVID cases in educational institutions in Arkansas produced by the ADH on Nov. 25 shows active COVID-19 cases in three of the five public school districts in Union County.
According to the report, there were 13 active cases in the Parkers Chapel School District on Nov. 25. Cumulatively, 21 cases have been identified in the PCSD, including five in staff and faculty and 15 in students. In the El Dorado School District, there were 10 active cases on Nov. 25. In total, 75 cases have been identified in the ESD, including 32 in staff and faculty and 42 in students. There were seven active cases in the Smackover-Norphlet School District. Altogether, 41 cases have been identified in the SNSD, including 10 in staff and faculty and 31 in students.
The report notes that due to some incomplete data, the number of cases in staff and faculty and students may not add up to the cumulative total. Data in the ADH COVID reports is provisional, meaning that it’s preliminary and may be incomplete.
No new local deaths attributable to COVID-19 were reported Friday. Fifty-six Union County residents have died as a result of the virus. In the Southwest hospital region, where Union County is located, 172 people were hospitalized due to the virus Friday, including 67 in intensive care units and 31 on ventilator support.
The ADH reported 97 new negative test results returned from Union County Friday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 9.1% based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 15,771 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 14,261 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 9.6%.
In Arkansas, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases rose by 1,052 to reach 153,677 Friday. The cases in the state on Friday included 134,904 confirmed cases and 18,773 probable cases.
There were 134,312 Arkansans considered recovered from the virus Friday, up 1,732 from Thursday. Active cases decreased by 680 to hit 16,908 Friday; they represented 11% of all the cases identified in Arkansas and included 13,090 confirmed cases and 3,818 probable cases.
No deaths caused by COVID-19 were recorded in Arkansas Friday. There have been 2,436 deaths attributable to the virus in the state. There were 1,011 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Friday, including 67 in ICUs and 31 on ventilator support.
Since the state began testing for COVID-19, 1,789,553 test results have returned to the ADH, including 1,632,079 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 8.6%.
At 3:15 p.m. Friday, Johns Hopkins University reported 12,993,261 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Of those, 4,871,203 people were considered recovered, leaving 7,857,817 cases — 60.5% — active nationwide. There had been 264,241 deaths attributable to the virus in the U.S. by Friday afternoon, indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 2%.
Johns Hopkins reported 61,418,477 COVID-19 cases worldwide Friday afternoon. Of those, 39,266,027 people were considered recovered, leaving 20,712,648 cases — 33.7% — active around the world. There had been 1,439,802 deaths attributable to the virus by Friday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 2.3%.