Nevada on Saturday reported a record daily increase of additional confirmed COVID-19 cases. But health officials later said the bulge largely resulted from laboratory data entry errors that delayed the posting of hundreds of cases from two previous days.
The state Department of Health and Human Services reported an additional confirmed 1,099 cases, mostly from metro Las Vegas.
The number of additional cases reported Saturday was more than double the previous record of 507 reported Thursday. Bur the Southern Nevada Health Agency said the reported daily increase included over 600 cases that should have been reported earlier in the week but were not.
The additional 1,099 cases reported Saturday raised the state’s total to 16,339 with 500 deaths, including two newly reported on Saturday.
Clark County accounted for 88% of the additional confirmed cases reported Saturday. The county accounts for 81% of the state’s reported overall case total.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.