MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — COVID-19 is rising throughout most of Wisconsin, and we’ve been able to track exactly how the numbers have moved on a day-to-day basis.
That’s something public health entities haven’t really ever done before.
“Sharing data on a daily basis is truly without precedent at any level of public health,” said Bureau of Infectious Diseases Dr. Ryan Westergaard on Thursday. “It takes a long time to clean the data to make sure there aren’t [problems] and that there isn’t a lag.”
The sheer amount of data being collected hasn’t been without problems. There is a backlog in some parts of the state in reporting the number of negative tests. DHS secretary designee Andrea Palm says part of the problem stems from an increased demand for tests, especially in virus hotspots like Dane County.
“As that workload has really increased over the month of July we certainly have seen back log in entering those negative cases into the system,” Palm told WTAQ on Thursday. “They have understandably prioritized those positive cases from a workload perspective, so that we are doing what we need to do to focus on the pandemic and the spread.”
The backlog has led to inconsistencies in the state’s positive case rate, something Assembly Republicans, including majority leader Jim Steineke, have pointed out this week.
So the percentage of positives has been wrong, and wildly so. The number of people reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 is also now in question. Reliable information is critical, and the public isn’t getting it. https://t.co/BX5tDffF8k
– Jim Steineke (@jimsteineke) July 24, 2020
Dr. Westergaard says the 7 day case growth average provides a better look at the state of the pandemic in Wisconsin.
