Health officials report non-specific school covid cases

Chronicle calls on DHEC to be specfic about numbers of cases

Posted 9/13/20

By Jerry Bellune

JerryBellune@yahoo.com

SC health officials report covid-19 cases in 8 Lexington County schools.

The Department of Health & …

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Health officials report non-specific school covid cases

Chronicle calls on DHEC to be specfic about numbers of cases

Posted

By Jerry Bellune

JerryBellune@yahoo.com

SC health officials report covid-19 cases in 8 Lexington County schools.

The Department of Health & Environmental Control announced Friday:

- Less than 5 student cases at Meadow Glen Elementary, Carolina Springs and Batesburg-Leesville Middle and Pelion High schools.

- Less than 5 faculty cases at Centerville and Lexington Elementary, Dutch Fork Middle and River Bluff High schools.

No cases were reported at other Lexington County schools.

The Chronicle asked why DHEC could not be more precise about exact number of cases at each school.

DHEC media relations official Laura Renwick said, "It's standard disease reporting practice (not specific to covid), that, if there are fewer than 5 cases associated with a facility, to represent this data as "less than 5" or ">5." 

"The specific number for less than 5 individuals isn't provided as a standard disease surveillance practice to protect confidentiality, since reporting such a small number of cases could lead to individuals being identified. 

"If a facility were to have at least 5 cases, then "5" or the higher number will appear."

The Chronicle has asked Renwick and DHEC to reconsider this reporting practice.

In an email, we wrote:

"Science doesn't deal in fishy, squishy numbers. Either there are 2 cases or 202 in our schools.
 
"The reporting should be precise. 'Less than 5' protects no one's privacy.
 
"It calls into question DHEC's transparency at a time when it is in question.
 
"DHEC's reputation for accuracy and honesty needs protection, not subterfuge.
 
"The public is watching and already suspicious about DHEC's motives. They don't care if it is 'standard disease reporting practice.'
 
"Many people already suspect your numbers are misleading and manipulative.
 
"Please pass this along to the DHEC numbers crunchers for us. There is a lot at stake in this."
DHEC, schools, COVID-19, cases, transparency, accuracy

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