Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials received notification Friday that four additional Hopkins County residents had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Nov. 13 COVID-19 update. The state also reported another COVID-19 death for Hopkins County on Friday, Nov. 13.
HC/SSEM Nov. 13 COVID-19 Update
The four new cases reported Friday make 129 Hopkins County residents who have received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 results and still currently have the virus, HC/SSEM officials reported in the Nov. 13 COVID-19 update.
Overall, that’s 67 Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far this month. Cumulatively, 751 Hopkins County residents have received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 results since March, including 622 who have recovered from the virus, according to the Nov. 13 COVID-19 update.
These totals do not include residents who received only positive antigen test results, as positive antigen results are considered by the state to be “probable” not “confirmed” COVID-19 cases like molecular positives.
Texas Department of State Health Services began reporting these results to counties on Monday. From June 23-Nov. 9, Hopkins County has had 556 cumulative probable cases, including 126 that were still “active” probable cases, according to the Nov. 13 COVID-19 updates.
The COVID unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs had 15 patients on Friday, the same as Nov. 12 and Nov. 6.
At the COVID-19 testing site on Jefferson Street, 119 tests were performed on Thursday, Nov. 12. That’s 515 tests performed at the site over the last week, 900 so far this month and 3,293 since tests were first offered at 218-A Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs on Sept. 25.
The Jefferson Street COVID testing site is scheduled to remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays during November, HC/SSEM officials reported in the Nov. 13 COVID-19 update.
To book a test, go online to GoGetTested.com, select “Red Cross/old Fidelity Express — Texas Emergency Management building at 128-A Jefferson St. in Sulphur Springs” or other desired location, then, click “Book Now,” and follow the prompts. Walk-ins are also accepted.
DSHS Fatality Reports
Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Case Counts COVID-19 dashboard shows 48 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities for Hopkins County, that’s one more Hopkins County resident who has died from COVID-19.
The latest death was reported to have occurred on Oct. 19, making two Hopkins County residents who died from COVID-19 on Oct. 19. according to the DSHS Nov. 13 “Fatalities over Time by County.” That makes 28 Hopkins County COVID-19 deaths in October.
So far only one Hopkins County COVID-19 death has been confirmed to have occurred in November. The resident died on Nov. 5, according to DSHS reports.
Overall, 48 COVID-19 deaths among the 751 residents reported to have tested positive for the virus since March gives Hopkins County a 6.39 percent fatality rate among positive cases.
In the surrounding area, only 2 other counties have had more COVID-19 fatalities than Hopkins County. Both have larger populations and have had more cases as well. Thus, the deaths account for much lower fatality percentages among positive cases than those in Hopkins County.
Cumulatively, 50 of the 2,358 Hunt County residents who tested positive (2.21 percent) have died from COVID-19. In Lamar County, which includes Paris, 56 of the 2,259 positive COVID-19 cases (2.48 percent) have resulted in death, according to DSHS reports.
Hopkins County has even even exceeded Wood County, which not only has a larger population but has had only a few more positive cases, in COVID-19 deaths. In Wood County, 45 of the 761 positive cases (5.91 percent) have resulted in death, according to DSHS COVID-19 reports on Nov. 13.
Only Red River County has had a higher fatality percentage among positive cases than Hopkins County. In Red River County, which includes Clarksville, 212 of the 12,023 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 212 cumulative positive cases, 18 residents (8.49 percent) have died.
DSHS in the case count dashboard defines COVID-19 fatalities as “deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a direct cause of death on the death certificate. A medical certifier, usually a doctor, determines the cause(s) of death. DSHS does not include deaths of people who had COVID-19 but died of an unrelated cause. Fatalities are reported by where the person lived as listed on the death certificate.” DSHS began reporting COVID-19 fatality data based on death certificates on July 27.
HHS Nursing, Assisted Living Reports
Only two of the four nursing facilities in Sulphur Springs reported any changes in the number of COVID-19 cases from Oct. 29 to Oct. 30, the most recent data available from Texas Health and Human Services on nursing homes.
Carriage House Manor reported there were no active COVID-19 cases at the facility on Oct. 30. The employee who had COVID-19 on Oct. 29 had recovered on Oct. 30.
Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab reported two of the eight employees who had the virus on Oct. 29 had recovered the next day. The facility had no active COVID-19 cases on Oct. 30, according the HHS Nov. 13 nursing facility report.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation continued to have 10 active employee COVID-19 cases and 21 active novel coronavirus 2019 resident cases on Oct. 30.
Rock Creek Health and Rehabilitation reported only 1 active resident COVID-19 case on Oct. 30.
Wesley House continued to have one active resident COVID-19 case on Oct. 30; the resident was first reported Oct. 27 to have tested positive for the virus, according to the HHS assisted living facility reports.
Hopkins Place has reported no COVID-19 cases since March.
