Ohio COVID-19 case numbers are underreported due to a processing error

The state’s COVID-19 dashboard shows fewer than 5,000 positive cases Tuesday. The Ohio Dept of Health (ODH) says those numbers are an undercount.

An electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) procesing error caused an incomplete case count, according to an ODH press release. 

"ODH received five incorrectly formatted ELR files from a long-term care facility around 5 p.m. on Jan. 24," the release said, causing a backlog in processing other reported confirmed cases.

ODH did not say when the backlog would be cleared.

Ohio's COVID-19 dashboard for Jan. 25, 2022. [Ohio Department of Health]

It's not the first time ODH's case counts have been incorrect.

The counts were also off in the days following Christmas and New Year's celebrations, when the virus appeared to be causing record high case numbers.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said last week it’s hard to keep up with so many cases being reported, but ODH has made changes to accommodate the rapid influx of high case counts.

“What we did was work very aggressively to augment those systems and do some rapid, both human and technological efforts, in new ways," Vanderhoff said.

Case counts are also believed to be underreported because many positive rapid home tests are not officially reported and counted in the totals.

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