In response to multiple requests from residents and the media, on Monday, April 13, 2020, the Pitt County Health Department began reporting an “estimated and assumed” count of the number of recovered cases from COVID-19 in Pitt County. This reporting will join all other COVID-19 related information on the Coronavirus Information Page of the Pitt County Website; and will be included in the County’s regularly scheduled COVID-19 Media Sessions, held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 AM.
Until now, Pitt County Health Director, Dr. John Silvernail had chosen not to offer this kind of information, as there is still no universally agreed upon definition on what it means to be “fully recovered” from COVID-19. “To be ‘recovered’ means more than simply ‘feeling better’” Silvernail explained in a post on the Pitt County Website. “There are many factors that go into determining what a full recovery is.”
Since there is not yet a universal standard on what it means to be “fully recovered” from COVID-19, the Health Department will be reporting an “estimated and assumed” recovery count. Recovery estimation is calculated by taking the date a person was tested and adding 15 days (the 14 days CDC recommends waiting after infection +1). This calculation will overestimate recovery for some (if they actually recovered in less than 14 days) and underestimate it for others (if in some cases it took more than 15 days to recover). Please note: all of the data calculations for this are being performed manually at this time, and updates to this number will be provided once daily.
AS OF THE TIME OF THIS RELEASE, COVID-19 CASES ESTIMATED RECOVERED* IN PITT COUNTY ARE: 28
All further questions regarding this information will be received during the next Pitt County COVID-19 Media Session (#9), scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 11:30 AM. All information regarding Pitt County’s response efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak are available on the Coronavirus Information Page of the Pitt County Website, at: www.PittCountyNC.gov/Coronavirus (or www.PittCountyNC.gov/CoronavirusES en español).