Cases tracked to mid February

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s first coronavirus infections occurred at least a couple weeks before the first illness for a resident was confirmed in early March, the state health commissioner said Wednesday.

That would indicate the virus could have been spreading around Indiana for perhaps six weeks before the statewide stay-at-home order took effect March 25.

“We tracked cases that we thought probably went back to at least mid February,” said the health commissioner, Dr. Kristina Box.

Indiana State Department of Health’s update Wednesday show 341 new cases of COVID-19 and 31 new deaths as a result of the disease caused by coronavirus.

The state department of health has had 25 or more deaths reported in 12 of the last 16 days. The death total over the course of the pandemic is 661.

Indiana’s new case total of 314 was down for the third straight day after coming in at 569 in Sunday’s report. The single-day high over the entirety of the pandemic is 612.

Indiana now has 12,438 total cases of COVID-19.

Wednesday’s update covers cases and deaths reported to the state department of health during the 24-hour period ending at midnight Tuesday.

Jay County reported its 10th case Wednesday afternoon. Delaware County continues to lead the area with 121 cases, followed by Darke (62), Mercer (14), Randolph (12), Adams (seven), Blackford (six) and Wells (six).

Health officials continue to indicate the actual numbers are likely higher because testing for COVID-19 is still limited. Just over 1 percent of Indiana’s 6.73 million residents have been tested.

Ohio's report showed 392 new cases of coronavirus and 53 new deaths. Its totals are now 14,117 and 610, respectively.

The earlier Indiana infections are in line with the determination of two coronavirus deaths in California in early and mid-February, showing that the virus was spreading in the U.S. well before health officials realized it.

Box said Indiana’s number of presumptive deaths will add fewer than 100 fatalities to the state total. She said some respiratory illnesses before the state’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection on March 6 were undoubtedly from the coronavirus.

“There will be individuals that never hit the hospital system that may very well have had COVID-19 and they won’t know that until we have that good antibody test out there to show that they are immune,” Box said.

The state’s first recorded coronavirus death occurred March 15.

State statistics show at least 158 COVID-19 deaths occurred in the seven-day period through Tuesday — a pace exceeding Indiana’s average of about 150 flu deaths over a seven-month period in recent years.

Gov. Eric Holcomb said comparing the dangers of the flu and COVID-19 were “not close.”

“You’re not going in and getting a shot and having the confidence that you can go back to work,” Holcomb said.

Coronavirus is spread through respiratory droplets from sneezes and coughs, close personal contact and touching something with the virus on it and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes before washing hands. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines encourage frequent hand washing, avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands, avoiding close contact with those who are sick and wearing a mask in public.