For the fourth time in a week, the Tarrant County Public Health Department confirms more than 1,000 cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus. On Friday, TCPH confirmed 1,402 new cases along with six new deaths, bringing the county's total number of confirmed and probable cases of the virus to more than 79,400.
The latest victims of the virus include four people from Fort Worth and one each from Arlington and Hurst. Further details about the victims were not yet released.
Of the 1,402 additional cases reported Friday, data from the county health department indicates there are 1,180 more confirmed cases than the day before and 222 more probable cases. The county confirmed to NBC 5 that all of the cases reported Friday are current and not part of a backlog.
Tarrant County began reporting both probable and confirmed cases in August at the request of the state health department. Probable cases, the county said, account for a variety of real-world situations and could highlight cases in the community that may otherwise go unreported. To date, the county has reported 70,791 confirmed cases of the virus and 8,640 probable cases for a total of 79,431 cases.
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COVID-19 TRACKING u0026amp; TESTING
The county is also reporting another 671 estimated recoveries, bringing the total number of survivors to 60,396. There are currently an estimated 18,245 active cases in the county, the most of any North Texas county.
Of the county's cases, 71% of those who have died were over the age of 65 even though they only make up 10% of the cases. Those aged 25 to 44 make up the largest percentage of people with COVID-19 at 36%.
The health department reports 726 COVID-19 patients are currently occupying hospital beds in the county on Friday -- about 14% of capacity and 160 more than were hospitalized with the virus on Monday.
Cook Children's Hospital, which reported zero hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Friday, Nov. 6, said they had 14 children hospitalized and fighting the virus on Friday, Nov. 13.
With 784 deaths now attributed to the virus, COVID-19 is now projected to be the third-leading killer of Tarrant County residents behind cancer and heart disease and is expected to surpass the annual total for stroke later this year.
COVID-19 causes a respiratory illness with cough, fever and shortness of breath and may lead to bronchitis, severe pneumonia or even death. For more information go to coronavirus.tarrantcounty.com or call the Tarrant County Public Health information line, 817-248-6299, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
