One of the biggest untold stories about COVID-19 in North Carolina continues. For the past two weeks, the active COVID-19 cases in North Carolina have been falling. Also, there have been more presumed recoveries from COVID-19 than new known cases. Would this week make it three?

Yes.

Here are the most recent numbers, per the state Department of Health and Human Services (as of August 10):

  • Total known cases: 136,844 (up 10,312)
  • Total deaths: 2,172
  • Total recoveries: 116,969 (up 11,876)

Here are some implications of those data (based on known cases):

  • There are 17,703 active cases of COVID-19 in NC — that is down 1,625 from last week (active cases are known cases minus deaths and recoveries)
  • This was the third week in a row that active cases fell
  • This was also the third week in a row there were more recoveries than new cases
  • Since May 11, known cases have increased 810 percent and deaths have increased 242 percent
  • In that same time, recoveries have increased 1,183 percent
  • There are 6.6 times more people who’ve recovered from COVID-19 in NC than who have it
  • 85.5 percent of NC’s known cases of COVID-19 are presumed recovered
  • That’s six out of every seven known cases

The graph at the top of this post shows the week-to-week changes in recoveries, known cases, and deaths.