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NC Coronavirus Cases and Measures: Trends over time

overview

The number and density of reported COVID-19 cases vary by location in the state. Factors that may contribute to differences across the state include the age of people in the area, patterns of underlying health conditions, and unequal access to testing and healthcare. Differences in maintaining physical distancing recommendations and wearing masks may also affect local trends in COVID-19 cases and deaths. This graph depicts trends in COVID-19 cases and deaths for all ages starting in June 2020 in each county, compared to regional and statewide COVID-19 measures.

All data are preliminary and subject to change. Corrections and updates are made as cases are being investigated and reported. The most current data are available on the NC DHHS COVID-19 dashboard.

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What does this visualization show me?

This graph shows cumulative cases and deaths dating back to June 2, 2020. To show current trends, a 7-day average for cases and deaths is also shown as a rate per 10,000 people. The graph presents the average number of cases and deaths with one line for the selected county, one line for the selected county’s corresponding flu region (a larger collection of counties), one line for metro or non-metro counties (matching the category of the selected county), and one line for the average for NC. Hover over any point on the line to see detailed information on the county,, the date, and the selected COVID-19 measure.

How does this visualization help us understand COVID-19?

This graph helps us understand whether a specific county has higher or lower COVID-19 measures than other NC counties, NC regions, and the state overall.

Where do the data come from?

COVID-19 data at the county level are from The New York Times, based on reports from state and local health agencies (LINK). The New York Times states that “all cases and deaths are counted on the date they are first announced.”

County-level population counts were from July 2020, provided by NC Office of State Budget and Management (LINK).

How were the measures calculated?

The number of daily cases averaged over 7 days represents the average of the daily number of new COVID-19 cases per 10,000 people in that county over the past 7 days (i.e., 7-day average of cases per day per 10k population).

Cumulative cases is a running count of the total number of newly detected COVID-19 cases per 10k since June 3, 2020. Using a denominator of 10,000 residents allows us to make comparisons between counties with differing population sizes.

How often are the data updated?

All four COVID-19 measures shown in this graph are updated daily.

Select a county from the drop-down box above the map
Select a COVID-19 health measure from drop-down box above the map
Hover over a line or point to see a description of the county, a description of the line selected, the date, and the COVID-19 measure on that date.

TERMS USED

Someone that has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

According to NCDHHS data, “COVID-19 deaths include people who have had a positive molecular (PCR) or antigen test for COVID-19, who died without fully recovering from COVID-19, and who had no alternative cause of death identified. Deaths are reported by hospitals and clinicians directly to the local and state health departments.”

The average daily number of newly detected COVID-19 cases over a 7-day period.

The total number of cases that have been diagnosed up to a certain point in time (data on this dashboard started on June 2, 2020 unless noted otherwise).

The US Office of Management and Budget defines metropolitan (metro) regions as a set of counties around a city with a population of 50,000 or more. Other counties are considered to be in a non-metropolitan (non-metro) region). Half of North Carolina counties are in a metropolitan region and half are in a non-metropolitan region.

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NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) puts counties into groups that they call regions. NCDHHS monitors the percentage of people who go to the hospital with influenza (flu) symptoms. View chart

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The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. The North Carolina Disease Event Tracking and Epidemiologic Collection Tool (NC DETECT) is an advanced, statewide public health surveillance system. NC DETECT is supported by the North Carolina Division of Public Health through a federal Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant and is managed through a collaboration between NC DPH and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Emergency Medicine's Carolina Center for Health Informatics.