MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota's top infectious disease experts Monday warned against reading too much into stats about fatality percentages in this early stage of coronavirus epidemic.
Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm was asked if the North Star State has a deadlier form of the virus, because cumulative death tally of 286 represents 7.5% of Minnesota's lab-confirmed, positive cases of COVID-19.
In neighboring Wisconsin, for example, the death tally represents 4.6% of all confirmed cases. But Commissioner Malcolm cautioned against making state-by-state comparisons because not all states target testing the way Minnesota did.
"It's not so much about the number as it is, but are we able to meet our goals for testing all symptomatic persons, testing all workers that are critical to the management of the disease."
Epidemiologist Kris Ehresmann echoed that sentiment, saying those tested thus far aren't a scientifically representative sample of a full cross-section of the state. The pool of those being tested are generally sicker or more prone to sickness than average.
"At the point of limited testing resources, we were focusing on the highest risk population," Ehresmann explained. "So, all of our testing, or a majority of it, was being done in long-term care settings."
Ehresmann noted that early testing was targeted to those who were symptomatic, people virus carriers had been in contact with and persons who are generally more susceptible to catching the virus and suffering more severe complications.
As more Minnesotans are tested, including asymptomatic persons of all ages, the percentage with fatal outcomes will likely drop, according to the experts.
Malcolm and Ehresmann say it's a good question worth exploring and tracking, but they've seen no scientific evidence that a different strain of the virus exists in Minnesota.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.