Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ How many cases of COVID-19 are there in Texas?

It depends who you ask.

On Tuesday, Texas either had 800+ cases or less than 400.

It was either ranked 10 in the nation for cases or 21.

But here's what matters: Stay home. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

2/ On Tuesday evening, Texas launched a new system for reporting cases of COVID-19.

Officials said the new system will bring the state's count closer to those of counties and other sources that were reporting hundreds more cases. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

3/ But discrepancies remain.

Texas health officials reported 34 cases in Dallas County on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the county reported 169 cases among its residents.

(The state updated the Dallas cases to 131 on Tuesday evening.) bit.ly/2QEMdAb

4/ But even the most generous accounting of positive cases in the state is a dramatic undercount, according to public health experts. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

5/ That's because there is rampant evidence of community spread.

The state health department’s traditionally reporting process is lengthy.

And there is limited testing capacity. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

6/ Experts have also emphasized the importance of ramping up testing in Texas and across the country, warning about the dangers of decision-making based on inconsistent numbers and incomplete data. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

7/ With community spread of the virus happening in several Texas counties, more people who have contracted the virus likely haven’t been tested. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

8/ And Texas is lagging behind other large states in testing capacity.

According to a Washington Post report, “New York has processed seven times as many tests as Texas,” although Texas has over 9 million more residents. bit.ly/2QEMdAb

9/9 Some experts say the virus has spread past the point when testing would have made a difference.

Sick people need to go to the hospital.

People not showing symptoms need to stay home.

bit.ly/2QEMdAb