New COVID cases reported from South Brunswick reflective of testing delays

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – The number of positive cases reported last week was in the double digits again, with 22 new cases reported last week.

While this number is in line with statistics from the prior two weeks, officials look for trends over a longer period of time to show accurate patterns. In addition, because test results have been taking an extended period of time in many cases, with some results taking up to a week to come back, and many reports being back-logged for up to several months, the overall COVID-19 cases reported from South Brunswick, currently at 673 cases, have appeared to increase at a higher rate than they actually are, and may not accurately reflect trends within South Brunswick, according to information provided by the South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management on Nov. 9.

Besides the number of township residents testing positive for COVID-19, another metric officials are using to monitor trends is the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations reported. Statewide, 1,439 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID, down from a high of more than 8,000 in April, but on a steady weekly increase since Sept. 21, when 349 individuals were hospitalized for COVID-19 throughout New Jersey, according to the report.

It once again appeared that a number of South Brunswick Township cases involved community spread contained within family groups, meaning that efforts to quarantine from the community at large were effective, but the virus still spread throughout their individual households, according to the statement.

The average age of the 22 people who tested positive last week was 31 years of age. Eleven were male and 11 were female.

In addition to those 22 new cases, officials were informed of seven additional cases confirmed from previous months, bringing the total number of COVID positive cases to 673.

No new deaths were reported from South Brunswick; the total remains at 33 since March.

Middlesex County reports a total of 23,917 residents who have tested positive.

SOUTH BRUNSWICK COVID TRACKING NUMBERS

Week Positive Residents Average Age Male / Female Under Age of 18
03/15 to 03/21 7
03/22 to 03/28 20
03/29 to 04/04 28
04/05 to 04/11 90 44 years old 42 male, 58 female 1
04/12 to 04/18 64
04/19 to 04/25 80
04/26 to 05/02 65
05/03 to 05/09 27
05/10 to 05/16 25
05/17 to 05/23 15
05/24 to 05/30 10 45 years old 4 male, 6 female 1
05/31 to 06/06 3 44 years old 2 male, 1 female 0
06/07 to 06/13 11 32 years old 5 male, 6 female 3
06/14 to 06/20 4 51 years old 2 male, 2 female 0
06/21 to 06/27 6 58 years old 3 male, 3 female 0
06/28 to 07/04 7 52 years old 4 male, 3 female 2
07/05 to 07/11 5 41 years old 3 male, 2 female 0
07/12 to 07/18 4 22 years old 2 male, 2 female 0
07/19 to 07/25 4 36 years old 1 male, 3 female 1
07/26 to 08/01 9 40 years old 3 male, 4 female 1
08/02 to 08/08 4 33 years old 3 male, 1 female 0
08/09 to 08/15 7 43 years old 4 male, 3 female 0
08/16 to 08/22 10 27 years old 8 male, 2 female 0
08/23 to 08/29 4 27 years old 1 male, 3 female 0
08/30 to 09/05 6 41 years old 5 male, 1 female 0
09/06 to 09/12 17 34 years old 8 male, 9 female 1
09/13 to 09/19 6 40 years old 3 male, 3 female 0
09/20 to 09/26 5 45 years old 1 male, 4 female 0
09/27 to 10/03 19 34 years old 11 male, 8 female 2
10/04 to 10/10 12 23 years old 8 male, 4 female 3
10/11 to 10/17 3 31 years old 2 male, 1 female 0
10/18 to 10/24 26 34 years old 13 male, 13 female 6
10/25 to 10/31 26 42 years old 15 male, 11 female 3
11/01 to 11/07 22 31 years old 11 male, 11 female 5