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Three things about COVID-19 hospitalization data in our latest post. https://covidtracking.com/blog/whats-going-on-with-covid-19-hospitalization-data
1. The data from states is ragged and incomplete right now when it used to be very even.
1. The data from states is ragged and incomplete right now when it used to be very even.
2. The hospitalization data HHS is now publishing has much higher patient numbers than the ones states report publicly.
We go into a lot of very weedsy details on both of the above points, but also need to note that
3. The hospitalization data reporting change from CDC to HHS is NOT why case counts are declining in the US. Case counts are reported by health departments, not hospitals.
3. The hospitalization data reporting change from CDC to HHS is NOT why case counts are declining in the US. Case counts are reported by health departments, not hospitals.
To believe that data from hospitals is altering the national case counts, you have to believe that loads of hospitals suddenly and illegally stopped reporting test data from their internal labs to public health departments at precisely the moment the HHS systems switch happened.
Also? HHS hospital data is *higher* than state counts. If it's all a centralized conspiracy to make COVID-19 outbreaks look smaller, wouldn't HHS be posting lower numbers? I get the impulse, but we are just not seeing any evidence for malicious manipulation.
What we're seeing instead is that hospitals are reeling from the change and trying very hard to get it all right—and we do think they eventually will. And in the end, it will be great to have richer and more detailed hospital reporting. This is just a really rough way to get it.
Finally, for the real hospital data nerds, the coverage from @KJercich at @HealthITNews is excellent and super detailed https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/quick-pivot-new-hhs-covid-19-reporting-rules-meant-chaos-hospitals
