CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of 10:00 a.m., on April 17, 2020, there have been 18,681 laboratory results received for COVID-19, with 754 positive, 17,927 negative and 13 deaths.
These are considered official numbers reported to the state, which will in turn, be reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical providers and laboratories are required to report positive test results to DHHR.
Delays may be experienced with the reporting of cases and deaths from the local health department to the state health department. It’s not uncommon for the local level to report case numbers first and then officially report it to the state.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Bureau for Public Health filed an order, effective April 16, 2020, requiring laboratories to provide immediate real time electronic reports of both positive and negative COVID-19 antibody or virus detection tests to the Bureau and to the local health department.
“The immediate collection of data or other information on the disease will assist in effectively implementing public health programs and help control the spread of COVID-19 to protect and promote the health of the people of West Virginia,” said Dr. Cathy Slemp, State Health Officer and Commissioner for DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health.
The order also requires each laboratory to become a validated submitter to the West Virginia Health Information Network or West Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance System and must begin that process by April 21, 2020. Laboratories may continue testing while in the registration process.
All health care providers should utilize laboratories capable of electronic reporting to the greatest extent practicable.
CONFIRMED CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (4), Berkeley (105), Boone (2), Braxton (1), Brooke (3), Cabell (28), Fayette (3), Grant (1), Greenbrier (3), Hampshire (6), Hancock (7), Hardy (3), Harrison (28), Jackson (39), Jefferson (57), Kanawha (101), Lewis (2), Lincoln (1), Logan (9), Marion (40), Marshall (7), Mason (10), McDowell (6), Mercer (8), Mineral (7), Mingo (2), Monongalia (83), Monroe (2), Morgan (7), Nicholas (3), Ohio (22), Pendleton (1), Pleasants (1), Preston (6), Putnam (13), Raleigh (7), Randolph (4), Roane (2), Summers (1), Taylor (4), Tucker (4), Tyler (3), Upshur (3), Wayne (72), Wetzel (3), Wirt (2), Wood (27), Wyoming (1).
As case surveillance continues at the local health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certain county may not be a resident of that county, or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the state border to be tested. Such is the case of Harrison County in this report.
A dashboard is available at www.coronavirus.wv.gov with West Virginia-specific data, including information on the health status of COVID-19 positive patients.