Now 78 Percent of NC’s Known COVID Cases Are Recoveries | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post is Jon Sanders for the John Locke Foundation.

    Frightening headlines on COVID-19 in North Carolina are easiest to write when the data pass a noteworthy numerical threshold. Yesterday, for example, saw the following:

• 1,268 new cases on 29,024 tests — the lowest number of new cases announced on a day since June 30
• Only 4.4% of tests returned positive — the lowest proportion of tests returning positive announced on a single day since June 9
• Hospitalizations down some, to 1,086
• 8 new deaths

    None of those numbers are particularly useful for keeping the populace sufficiently alarmed.* Fortunately, a data milestone was also reached on this otherwise less-than-discouraging day:

• Over 100,000 total known cases (the count is up to 101,046)

    Granted, that is total cases not counting recoveries:

• 78,707 total recoveries — meaning there are 20,697 known active cases
• Recoveries account for 78 percent of NC's known COVID-19 cases
• There are nearly four times as many recoveries as there are active cases

    So what was reported?

• The News & Observer/Charlotte Observer: North Carolina COVID-19 cases surpass 100,000. Experts say it's just the beginning.
• WRAL: North Carolina reaches 100,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus
• ABC11 News (WTVD): More than 100,000 people in North Carolina have tested positive for COVID-19
• Spectrum News: The Latest: North Carolina Passes 100,000 Coronavirus Cases, Hospitalizations Down
• News & Record: Monday's COVID-19 update: N.C. cases surpass 100,000; hospitalizations across state drop to 1,086
• WNCT: NC surpasses 100,000 coronavirus cases as hospitalizations decline
• WSOC: COVID-19 in the Carolinas: NC surpasses 100,000 positive cases
• Fox 8 Greensboro: Coronavirus in North Carolina: Number of cases breaks 100,000; Here's a county-by-county breakdown of cases in the Piedmont Triad
• WBTV/WECT: North Carolina surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 cases as another 1,200+ test positive
• WNC Times: NC DHHS COVID-19 By the Numbers July 20, 2020 Over 100,000 Confirmed Cases

    Wondering out loud

    In two weeks, which is when recoveries should also surpass 100,000, will our media showcase that fact?