How COVID cases are defined and counted by the CDC - this will piss you off

ETA: LA's reported numbers do not separate Probable and Confirmed cases (only deaths) so this does pertain to Louisiana. Keep that in mind during the next press conference.

From the official CDC guidelines:

quote:

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A surveillance case definition is a set of uniform criteria used to define a disease for public health surveillance. Surveillance case definitions enable public health officials to classify and count cases consistently across reporting jurisdictions. Surveillance case definitions are not intended to be used by healthcare providers for making a clinical diagnosis or determining how to meet an individual patient’s health needs.

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LINK

There are TWO types of COVID cases and BOTH count towards the numbers we see everyday

PROBABLE and confirmed (by lab testing).

Probable COULD technically be defined as someone who walked into a doctor's office and complains (subjective) of chills and a sore throat AND "No alternative more likely diagnosis" (OR just trouble breathing)

This combined with suspected exposure to COVID counts as an OFFICIAL CASE though not technically confirmed.

in other words a:

1. legit cold
2. strep throat with test taken too early
3. sinus infection
4. illness with Flu like symptoms
5. False negative flu test
6. Panic Attack
7. etc

Would ALL be listed under probable and if you told the doctor you were out in public where there were confirmed or suspected cases AT SOME POINT, you would be classified as an OFFICIAL COVID CASE which can be counted though not technically confirmed by the lab.

If they keep this definition, the "COVID" numbers are going to go through the roof in the fall.