Experts Say COVID-19 Cases Are Surging, But How Reliable Is The Testing Data?

As Americans entered summer with a glimmer of hope that COVID-19 might recede, those hopes were quickly dashed after a rapid resurgence of the virus in Sun Belt states. Now approaching midsummer, the numbers continue to surge across the South and Western regions of the United States.

Florida and Texas, two of the hardest-hit states besides California and New York, have broken record numbers of cases in the last several weeks. Florida recorded an all-time high of about 15,200 cases in a single day July 11.

The question remains unanswered, however, about how cases are increasing at such an accelerated speed. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March, state-by-state coronavirus data tracking maps were readily available online, so the public could monitor daily numbers.

Now several months into combating the Wuhan virus, more testing is available, and further information has come to light about how health officials determine some positive cases. These factors contribute to a greater need for more detailed classification and reporting of case numbers.