1812Blockhouse

By: 1812Blockhouse Staff

This past week marked the three month mark since the first post on 1812Blockhouse about the COVID-19 pandemic. A review of stories shows that the first time the virus was mentioned was in late February with a piece focusing on Richland Public Health’s advice on how to prepare for its arrival.

On March 19, Richland Public Health reported the first confirmed case of the virus in Richland County, less than two months after the country’s first reported case in Washington State.

A quick glance at almost any media site will reveal that while the pandemic still has a dramatic impact on local governments, institutions, organizations, businesses, and families, most related stories focus on those impacts than on the disease itself, which is rarely mentioned. This is the case nationwide; many advertisers now refuse to be placed opposite stories that contain the words “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” (see this New York Times story).

With this in mind, and with three months of monitoring and sharing data, we thought it a good time to share numbers that demonstrate what has been the movement of COVID-19 across Ohio and Richland County. You may be shocked by these numbers, or surprised that they aren’t higher. Whatever the case, it seems important to us, from time to time, to take account of where we are at.

We are using official numbers here as shared by departments of health; these numbers are current as of Tuesday evening, May 27.

OHIO

• Total tests — 337,221 (almost 200,000 in May alone)
• Reported cases — 33,606
• Reported cases, Ohio prisons — 5,664 (82% have recovered)
• Reported cases, onset in last two weeks — 5,478
• Daily increases, reported cases — In March, ranged from 20% to 40%; under 4.2% since late April; under 2.6% since May 12
• Total hospitalizations — 5,579
• Total intensive care hospitalizations — 1,450
• Current hospitalizations — 937
• Current intensive care hospitalizations — 351
• Deaths — 2,002
• Deaths, number of counties — 67 out of 88
• Deaths, age 70 and older — 75%
• Deaths, age 40 and younger — 19

RICHLAND COUNTY

• Reported cases — 186
• Rate — 154.3 per 100,000
• Current hospitalizations — 30
• Recoveries — 122
• Deaths — 3

Coronavirus, Public Health

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