Over 3,000 people are estimated to have recovered from coronavirus in NC in past week

More than 3,000 people are presumed to have recovered from the coronavirus in North Carolina in the past week, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

A total of 14,954 people are presumed to have recovered, the department said Monday. That is up from 11,637 one week ago on May 18.

As of late Monday morning, there were 23,964 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, according to DHHS. That would mean roughly 62% of the people infected have recovered.

Another 754 people have died, DHHS said Monday.

In determining the number of people presumed to have recovered, the state estimates a 14-day recovery period for people who have not been hospitalized for COVID-19 and 28 days for people who have been hospitalized.

The state does not have access to patient-specific information for all cases, it says.

The recovery estimates don’t describe how many people are contagious. Nor do they measure immunity to the disease.

“Doctors and scientists do not yet know if patients who have recovered are protected with natural immunity from getting COVID-19 again,” DHHS said in a news release.

Experts have told The News & Observer that some people with coronavirus may have few or no symptoms, making it difficult to judge if they are recovered. Others, they said, may have lingering effects.

The recovery update comes on the same day DHHS reported the highest number yet of coronavirus-related hospitalizations, with 627.

The state is also running low on the supply of some personal protective equipment, with only 29 days’ worth of gowns and 19 days’ worth of N95 respirators, it said Monday.

There are however, enough face shields, gloves and procedure masks for at least a month. The state has requested more supplies from the private sector.

This story was originally published May 25, 2020 at 5:33 PM.