Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – An online dashboard that offers COVID-19 statistics and is located within the Hidalgo County website will transition to a new format and may go off-line temporarily this week to conform to changes being made at the state level for the release of statistical information.
Hidalgo County will begin listing COVID-19 test results, in accordance to Texas DSHS 2020 case criteria guide, in the following three categories:
- Confirmed: A person who has tested positive through a molecular or PCR (oral or nasal swabs) test that looks for the presence of the virus’s genetic material
- Probable: A person who has tested positive through an antigen test (nasal swab) that detects the presence of COVID in the system
- Suspect: A person who has tested positive for having COVID-19 antibodies through a specific type of serum, plasma or whole blood test, but has no prior history of being a confirmed or probable case
“We recognize that this can be confusing, particularly as the process of reporting numbers evolve,” said Eddie Olivarez, head of the Hidalgo County Health and Human Service Department. “Our objective is to be as transparent as possible with the most current and reliable information.”
Olivarez noted that often the county dashboard may be different from the state dashboard, but that often reflects a difference in the origin due to the reporting methods from our health care community.
The state dashboard may be delayed by as much as 48 hours. HIDALGO COUNTY’S UPDATED DASHBOARD TAKES ALL CHANGES INTO ACCOUNT, HOWEVER, ALL NUMBERS ARE SUBJECT TO UPDATE AND REVIEW.
