No, the increase in Michigan coronavirus cases is not driven by further testing


As the number of coronavirus cases increases in Michigan and across the country, President Donald Trump and many of his supporters are pulling it off with additional results in testing.

“The media is doing everything possible to create fear before November 3rd,” Trump said on Twitter on Saturday morning. “Cases are gone because testing is the highest and best in the world. The mortality rate is down 85% plus! “

Trump’s tweet came on the same day that Michigan filed 3,3338 new cases, surpassing the previous one-day record of 2,015 cases reported on Friday, Oct. 16.

Health experts point to a number of metrics that contradict Trump’s argument. In fact, there has been an increase in mortality, hospitalization, and test positivity rates, indicating an increase in cases showing a true increase in coronavirus transmission.

Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said, “Despite the increase in testing rates, we are not seeing an increase in testing alone in the Covid-1 in cases in Michigan.” “There’s been a dramatic increase in all regions of the state with more cases in the small Michigan areas we’ve seen in the spring. Outbreaks have been reported in workplaces, schools and universities, and social gatherings.”

In Michigan:

  • The average number of daily tests in October increased by 30% compared to September, but the number of new cases increased by 87 to 87%.
  • The positive test of percentage has increased from 2.6 per cent in September to 4.4 per cent in October. Last week, the positivity rate was 5.5%.
  • Hospitalized. As of Sept. 26, 503 adults in Michigan were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus. On Monday, October 26, it was 1,479.
  • Deaths are on the rise. In the first 26 days of September, 449 people died, compared to 289 in September.

It is true that the number of current cases is not comparable to last March and April as there are many differences in testing. Looking at the more recent numbers, experts say, is a different story.

Despite the new record, Michigan almost certainly had more coronavirus cases last spring

Joel Straze, a health officer with the Bay County Health Department, said the idea of ​​the current spike test is “an absurd notion.”

“There is a demand for more testing, which comes in the face of more people suffering from symptoms and suffering from coronavirus. The demand is not high as there are more tests available, ”he said. “My advice is to trust public health experts. This is a public health problem, not a political problem. ”

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