(UNDATED) – Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Governor Holcomb and health officials have focused on keeping Hoosiers safe and using data and public health expertise to guide their decisions.
Yesterday, Hoosiers got their first glimpse into the statewide COVID-19 study from the Fairbanks School of Public Health. The preliminary results of phase 1 of this Fairbanks study confirm that Governor Holcomb’s hunker down policies helped to flatten the curve and slow the spread.
The data gathered by Fairbanks is extensive, but here’s an overview of some of the bigger points:
- 4,611 Hoosiers were randomly selected and tested between April 25-May 1
- 1.7% of those tested were positive
- 1.1% had antibodies
This confirms that:
- 2.8%, or 186,000, of all Hoosiers have had COVID-19
- Tests on symptomatic Hoosiers available across the state have only identified about 1 in 11 of all infections
- 0.58% of infected people have died (six times more deadly than the seasonal flu)
- 44.8% of people who tested positive showed no symptoms
“This study underscores the absolute necessity that folks operate in this new reality going forward,” said Governor Holcomb.
The last bullet is of critical importance. Nearly 45% of all Hoosiers who have had the virus showed zero symptoms while they were infected. However, those Hoosiers could easily transmit the virus to anyone they came in close contact with – friends, family members, neighbors, grocery shoppers, etc.
COVID-19 impacts everyone and the preliminary results of the Fairbanks study show why it is critically important for all of Hoosiers to continue social distancing, practice good hygiene, and wear masks when venturing in heavily trafficked places.
“We’re in a good spot right now because we have been vigilant. That should reinforce that what we have been doing so far has been working,” Governor Holcomb added.
The next phase of this scientific study will begin in June, and if you get selected, officials encourage you to participate.
Most of the state is now in phase 2 of Governor Holcomb’s Back on Track Plan and Governor Holcomb says continued vigilance will allow for even more sectors to begin slowly and responsibly reopening.
