State Health Officials add to Indiana dashboard for COVID-19

Indiana is looking at other ways to track COVID-19 cases.

The state of indiana is looking at more ways to count covid 19 positive cases.

Health leaders announced it today in the governors press conference.

In your top story tonight... news 10's sarah lehman has the breakdown of what you can expect.

The state health commissioner dr. kristina box announced another way indiana is going to be tracking covid 19 cases.

She says it's to help accurately compare indiana to other states.

So -- here's what we know.

Right now -- indiana's covid 19 dashboard shows total positive cases... new positive cases... new individuals tested... and total individuals tested.

Now -- indiana is adding more to that dashboard.

Up until now -- indiana has gotten their positivity rate by counting positive cases from unique individuals.

That means if you tested positive for the virus you would be counted in indiana's positive rates.

But -- if you tested a second time and it came back positive again -- you would not be added for a second time that's because your case was already included.

Now -- state health officials will be looking back on tests.

Dr. box says they are going to be taking the number of positive cases in the state... and divide it by the number of tests given.

She says that will give them more insight on community spread.

And be able to compare more accurately to other states.

Dr. box says this may change exact numbers.

But the positivity trend will stay the same.

"what's important to note is that the positivity trend is the same for both methods.

Whether the percent of positivty is decreasing, increasing, or staying the same remains consisitent."

Dr. box also pointed out the c-d-c does not tell states how to calculate the positivity rate.

They have used the metod on the dashboard since the start.

But -- they are hoping this new method will give them more data they can share with hoosiers and other states.

[take: sarah] sara} this does not mean anything will change on your county website.

This information is for the state dashboard as of right now.

All of this will be added to indiana's dashboard on monday.

Back to you.

Indiana will back to you.