DOTHAN, Ala.— When one goes to the Alabama Department of Public’s Health’s dashboard and clicks on a county, they may see the total number of cases and deaths, but that does not tell the whole story.
Houston County, for example, has 8,013 total cases, but if you were to select the county on the drop-down menu, you would find that only 4,358 of those (54 percent) are confirmed, the rest being classified as probable cases.
The difference is how COVID-19 cases are counted by the state by their detection. A confirmed COVID-19 test is determined by a molecular amplification test while probable cases can be any of the following:
- Those who had SARS-CoV-2 detected by an antigen test
- Those who were close contacts with a COVID-19 case or part of an exposed group
- Those whose death certificates list COVID-19 as an underlying cause of death
However, if someone who meets the first two requirements tests negative with a molecular amplification test, then they would be removed from the case.
If someone dies as a confirmed case, they are listed as a confirmed death. The same is true for those who die as probable cases.
The ADPH began combining the two counts into their total number of cases and deaths on Sept. 25, 2020. However, to maintain consistency, some outlets, like us at WDHN, stuck to the confirmed case counts to prevent a jump in our reporting.
