NBC 5’s Health Reporter Bianca Castro breaks down what we know about kids and the coronavirus.
Dallas County reported 10 more COVID-19 related deaths Saturday in addition to 614 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The county's 7-day average dropped to an average of 654 new cases per day -- the lowest it's been since July 2.
The 10 victims reported Saturday include:
- A man in his 20s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 30s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital.
- A woman in her 40s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 50s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 60s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Dallas. He expired in the facility and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Dallas. He expired in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A woman in her 80s who was a resident of a long-term care facility in the city of Dallas. She expired in an area hospital ED and had underlying high-risk health conditions.
- A man in his 80s who was a resident of the city of Lancaster. He had been critically ill in an area hospital.
The 10 coronavirus-related deaths raise Dallas County's death toll to 681, while the number of confirmed cases in the county reached 50,590. The 77 deaths recorded over the last seven days make it the second-deadliest week of the pandemic in Dallas County.
The 14-day average dropped for the seventh straight day to 741.
Dallas County does not report recoveries from COVID-19 because it lacks the manpower to follow up with thousands of patients, however, the Texas Department of State Health Services posts an estimated number of recoveries on its site and lists 78,164 for Dallas County as of Saturday, Oct. 10. Using data supplied by the state, there are an estimated 6,120 active COVID-19 cases in the county.
Despite the number of daily cases trending in the right direction, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins cautioned against complacency.
"It's important to remember however that we are still around four times higher in the number of daily cases than we were when the Governor's Open Texas program began," Jenkins said in a statement. "Therefore, it is imperative that you keep doing what you're doing: wear that mask, main that six-foot distance, have good hand hygiene and avoid any unnecessary trips out of the home."
More than 2,050 children under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with the virus in the first three weeks of July, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services. During that same timeframe, 52 children have been hospitalized.
Of cases requiring hospitalization, two-thirds of all COVID-19 patients have been under 65 years of age, and about half do not have high-risk chronic health conditions. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
Through Friday, 722 people in Dallas County were hospitalized due to COVID-19, while around 25% of all emergency rooms visits Friday were for coronavirus-like symptoms, according to DCHHS.
The county has been reporting for several weeks now that more than a third of the deaths related to COVID-19 have been among residents of long-term care facilities.
Texas COVID-19 Case Trends
NBC 5 is tracking the number of COVID-19 related cases in all Texas counties. Choose up to four counties to see
Cases are cumulative by day and are subject to change, dependent on each county health department's reporting schedule and methodology.
Data: County Health Departments, NBC 5 Staff
Nina Lin/NBC
