TEXAS, USA — Despite cases steadily rising in the Permian Basin, Midland and Ector county have remained on the low end of mortality rates.
As of 9 p.m. on August 17, both Ector and Midland County are reporting 60 deaths from Covid-19.
In Midland County, there are 2948 total cases.
In Ector County, there are 3814 total cases.
By dividing the number of deaths with the total number of cases you can calculate the mortality rate.
For Midland County that rate is 2.0%.
For Ector County that rate is 1.6%.
The national mortality rate for the United States is currently just over 3% with more than 170,000 deaths nationwide, and 5.3 million confirmed cases.
Dr. Saravanan of Odessa Regional Medical Center says the mortality rate is expected to be between 1-2%.
But this low rate is still no reason to get complacent.
"The six deaths that were published today (Monday) from Midland Health, every single one of them had underlying conditions," Saravanan explained.
With these deaths, plus another in Ector County over the weekend, we should all do our part to reduce the spread to those who are most vulnerable by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing while in public.