Backlogged Covid cases cause data problems

Austin Public Health reported Tuesday that, since last week, backlogged lab data from the Department of State Health Services have left case number reports in a confusing state. According to the city, “APH will continue to process the backlogged lab results and will not know the true impact of the reporting error until processing is complete.” However, the source of the confusion is known. The public health authority received about 2,200 lab reports from DSHS on Aug. 13, and it turns out many of them are duplicates and outdated, with some results “dating back as far as April” due to a backlog of electronic lab reports. Information about new cases, such as it is, can be found on the region’s Covid-19 dashboard.