LDH: More than 20K ‘presumed recovered’ from COVID-19 in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting more than 20,000 people are presumed recovered from the coronavirus statewide.

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The LDH dashboard was updated on Monday to show that the number of presumed recovered had risen to 20,316 as of May 2. Probable deaths have risen to 73. The data is updated weekly.

The LDH says a person is presumed recovered if:

1) it has been more than 14 days, since he/she tested positive and he/she is not currently in the hospital or deceased (when hospital status is known), or 
2) it has been more than 21 days since he/she tested positive and he/she is not deceased (when hospital status is unknown).  

The LDH defines probable COVID deaths as deaths identified by coroners and/or physicians as COVID-19 deaths or as probable/suspected/possible COVID-19 deaths without a lab positive result. This number could change if pending test results turn out positive or negative.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 333 Monday, bringing the total statewide to 29,673. The number of reported COVID-19 deaths rose by 22 to 1,991.

While Monday’s updated numbers reflect more confirmed cases and deaths than were reported Sunday, weekend data has typically been lower than on weekdays.

The number of people hospitalized continues to decline for a third straight day, dropping another 28 from 1,530 to 1,502 Monday. However, the number of people on a ventilator rose by seven Monday to 220.

Reported cases in Northwest Louisiana rose by 34 cases, 19 of them in Caddo Parish. The number of deaths in Caddo Parish according to the LDH remains at 114, although the Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office was reporting 120 in the parish as of Thursday, April 30.

Five more cases were also reported in Bossier Parish and four more in DeSoto Parish, which is also reporting a thirteenth death. Natchitoches is also reporting three new cases for a total of 90 and a fifth death.

As of noon on Monday, May 4, the LDH reported the following data on new cases, deaths and testing in northwest Louisiana parishes:

• Caddo  –  1,629 case(s)  |  114 death(s)  |  124 state tests  |  14,186 commercial tests
• Bossier  –  300 case(s)  |  17 death(s)  |  44 state tests  |  5,817 commercial tests
• De Soto  –  202 case(s)  |  13 death(s)  |  20 state tests  |  1,450 commercial tests
• Webster  –  92 case(s)  |  4 death(s)  |  13 state tests  |  1,627 commercial tests
• Claiborne  –  58 case(s)  |  7 death(s)  |  25 state tests  |  458 commercial tests
• Bienville  –  78 case(s)  |  13 death(s)  |  20 state tests  |  549 commercial tests
• Natchitoches  –  90 case(s)  |  5 death(s)  |  49 state tests  |  756 commercial tests
• Sabine  –  17 case(s)  |  1 death(s)  |  25 state tests  |  379 commercial tests
• Red River  –  33 case(s)  |  5 death(s)  |  15 state tests  |  211 commercial tests