A local physician is keep track of local numbers of COVID-19. Dr. Mark Ebell is a Family Physician and professor at University of Georgia's College of Public Health.
“One of the most important things that you want to track during any disease outbreak is the number of new cases per day and we call that an epidemic curve,” according to Ebell. “The state is reporting the total cases every day and total deaths every day, but not new cases and new deaths. So I wanted to make a little contribution and track that on a daily basis.”
The numbers are lagging behind, but they are providing an indication of what’s happening in the area.
“I was also interested in seeing if the fact that Clarke County put in place mandatory distancing a couple of weeks before the rest of the state had any impact and if we can detect that.”
That effort seems to be paying off.
“A higher number is better; it means slower spread. If you look at the site, what you see that on March 22nd, the doubling time was two and a half days for Clarke County and for the surrounding counties and for the state,” Ebell said. “It’s now up to almost 13 days for Clarke County, compared to only about five and a half days for the county around us and in the state as a whole.”
Find those local numbers here.
He is also Editor-in-Chief of Essential Evidence, a medical reference website. You can view COVID-19 information for free at www.essentialevidenceplus.com. The site also follows statewide numbers.
