Update

April 20

LA County Updates Its Numbers

By Mary O’KEEFE

Public Health Los Angeles County announced today that there were 1,491 new cases reported of confirmed COVID-19. Though this is a large number of new cases, Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health, said it does not represent a “true” one-day increase because 1,191 cases came from a backlog of tests received from one lab, and 293 are the daily reported cases.

The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in LA, which includes numbers from Long Beach and Pasadena – both of which have independent public health departments – as of April 20 is 13,816.

Today’s report also included 17 new deaths reported, which brings the total number of deaths to 617.

“Today we released preliminary results from a collaborative study with University of Southern California that suggests infection from COVID-19 is more widespread than previously thought. As we plan for our recovery, we are mindful that COVID-19 is a highly infectious virus and we all must continue to do our part to slow the spread. This means keeping our distance at all times, isolating when ill and quarantining if we have been in contact with someone positive for COVID-19,” Ferrer stated.

Preliminary findings from the community prevalence study done in partnership with the University of Southern California and the LRW Group suggest infections from the COVID-19 are far more widespread – and the fatality rate much lower – in LA County than previously thought. Eight hundred and sixty-three LA County adults were tested between April 10 and April 14 using serology testing. Based on results of the first round of testing, the research team estimates that approximately 4.1% of the county’s adult population has antibodies to the virus. Adjusting this estimate for statistical margin of error implies about 2.8% to 5.6% of the county’s adult population has antibodies to the virus, which translates to approximately 221,000 to 442,000 adults in the county who have had the infection. That estimate is 28 to 55 times higher than the 7,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to the county by the time of the study in early April.

The number of COVID-related deaths in the county has surpassed 600. This information helps Public Health better understand how COVID-19 is showing up in local communities.