If you believe the Texas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 dashboard, Kerr County might have one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Texas, with 452 active cases. DSHS reported another fatality of a Kerr County resident — this one coming on Nov. 23.
Since Nov. 19, DSHS has shown Kerr County has had more than 400 breakthrough probable cases, including 184 reported on Nov. 30. The actual number of confirmed cases is low — at least what's being reported by Peterson Regional Medical Center.
A DSHS spokesman said the state's count is related to a change in the state's reporting that is less reliant on public health agencies to report positive cases. In Kerr County, much of that reporting was heaped on Peterson Regional Medical Center, but the emergence of take-home tests has changed.
"This is a change from before Nov. 33 when regions and local health departments could provide their own numbers and is a result of the agency's shift toward NEDSS-based (National Electronic Disease Surveillance System) case reporting," said Douglas Loveday, a DSHS press officer.
When it comes to fatalities, DSHS said it stands by the number of fatalities despite a question from The Lead about the discrepancy between Peterson's death and those reported by DSHS.
"Second, and again not sure of the relevance of Peterson Regional Medical Center, but DSHS shows 140 COVID deaths in Kerr County as of today," Loveday wrote in an email.
The issue rests with how dates don't match between the state's reporting and Peterson's. Between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, Peterson reported eight deaths of Kerr County residents and only one-day matches with DSHS reporting — Sept. 14. However, during September, there were days with multiple deaths.
- Oct. 1, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Oct. 3, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 22)
- Oct. 5, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.Oct. 6, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services. (Reported on Nov. 4)
- Oct. 7, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services. (Reported on Oct. 27)
- Oct. 10, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Oct. 10, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 21)
- Oct. 14, as reported by Peterson Regional Medical Center. (Reported on Oct. 15)
- Oct. 14, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 20).
- Oct. 14, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 21).
- Oct. 22, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Oct. 28).
- Oct. 25, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 12).
- Nov. 4, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 11).
- Nov. 8, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Nov. 20, changed to Nov. 8 on Nov. 30)
- Nov. 16, as reported by Peterson Regional Medical Center (Reported on Nov. 17).
- Nov. 23, as reported by Texas Department of State Health Services (Reported on Dec. 3)
