The Arkansas Department of Health reported three new COVID-19 cases in Union County Saturday, bringing the cumulative number of cases identified locally to 839. Of the cumulative total of cases, 825 were confirmed cases, determined by positive PCR tests, up three from Friday; and 14 were probable cases, determined by positive antigen tests, no change from Friday.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are known to be more accurate, which is why positive results are considered “confirmed.” Antigen tests currently available on the market have accuracy rates between 84% and 97% when given within five days of the onset of COVID symptoms; the lower accuracy is why positive results from antigen tests are considered “probable.”
The CDC website says that negative antigen test results have a higher probability of being incorrect, and those who receive negative antigen test results should still follow quarantine or isolation protocols set in place by local health departments.
There were 777 reported recoveries in Union County Saturday, up 10 from Friday. Most of the people considered recovered in the county had confirmed cases of the virus — 772 — and five of the recoveries were in people with probable cases.
There were 30 active cases in the county on Saturday, down seven from Friday, representing 3.6% of all the cases identified in the county. The number of active cases in Union County was made up of 26 local residents with confirmed cases of the virus and four with probable cases.
No new local deaths attributable to COVID-19 were reported Saturday. Thirty-one Union County residents have died as a result of the virus.
The Arkansas Center for Health Initiatives released city-level COVID data this week, updated through Sept. 14. The number of cases in cities throughout Arkansas is provided by the ACHI, except when cities have fewer than 10 cumulative cases.
According to the ACHI, on Sept. 14, El Dorado had 577 cumulative COVID-19 cases, representing 2% of the city’s population, and 33 of the cases were new last week; Huttig had 17 cumulative cases, representing 2% of the population; Junction City had 52 cumulative cases, representing 2% of the population; Smackover had 34 cumulative cases, representing 2% of the population; and Strong had 44 cumulative cases, representing 3% of the population.
COVID-19 cases have also been identified in Calion, Lawson, Mount Holly and Norphlet, according to the ACHI. There were fewer than 10 cumulative cases in those cities.
According to a school report produced by the ADH on Sept. 17, there remained five active COVID-19 cases in the Smackover-Norphlet School District that day; there were 11 cases in the district in all. No other local school districts were identified in the school report, which lists schools, colleges and universities with five or more COVID-19 cases.
The ADH reported 37 new negative test results returned from Union County Saturday, indicating a one-day local positivity rate of 7.5%, based on the number of new cases and results reported. In all, 8,675 COVID-19 test results have returned from Union County, including 7,836 negatives, indicating an overall local positivity rate of 9.7%.
In Arkansas, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases grew to 75,160 Saturday. There were 803 new confirmed cases reported Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 73,141; and 275 new probable cases reported, bringing the total number of probable cases in Arkansas to 2,019.
There were 66,003 Arkansans considered recovered Saturday. The number of active cases in Arkansas grew to reach 6,557 Saturday, representing 8.7% of the cumulative cases in the state. The number of active cases was made up of 6,101 confirmed cases and 456 probable cases.
The deaths of eight Arkansans that were attributable to COVID-19 were reported Saturday, bringing the state’s death toll to 1,181, indicating a state COVID mortality rate of 1.6%. There were 407 Arkansans hospitalized due to the virus Saturday, including 81 on ventilator support.
In the Southwest Public Health Region, where Union County is located, there were 71 people hospitalized due to the virus, including 38 in intensive care units and 78 on ventilator support.
Since the state began testing for the virus, 885,735 COVID-19 test results have returned to the ADH, including 810,409 negatives, indicating an overall positivity rate for the state of 8.5%.
At 3:40 p.m. Saturday, Johns Hopkins University reported 6,755,171 COVID-19 cases in the United States. Of those, 2,556,465 were considered recovered, leaving 3,999,624 cases — 59.2% — active nationwide. There had been 199,082 deaths attributable to the virus in the U.S. by Saturday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins, indicating a national COVID mortality rate of 2.9%.
Johns Hopkins reported 30,602,281 COVID-19 cases worldwide Saturday afternoon. Of those, 20,836,812 were considered recovered, leaving 8,811,659 cases — 28.8% — active around the world. There had been 953,810 deaths attributable to the virus by Saturday afternoon, indicating a global COVID mortality rate of 3.1%.