Local cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, are being listed by ZIP code by San Diego County officials.
NBC 7 Investigates used the data from the county website to create the map below. The data will be updated at the end of every month, providing a snapshot of which areas within the county have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
This data is not a full representation of cases. Totals are based on patients' resident zip code, and are not a representation of where someone contracted COVID-19. Because not every single resident is tested regularly, officials with the County Health and Human Services Agency say the number of people infected with COVID-19 in the county is likely much higher than the reported total.
Click here for the latest updates on coronavirus cases in San Diego County.
County officials stressed the presence of cases, or lack thereof, should not affect how people operate during the coronavirus pandemic. Likewise, just because a ZIP code has a higher case count doesn't mean that part of the county is less safe.
Staying at home, practicing social distancing and washing your hands are practices everyone should be maintaining, regardless of the number of cases reported in your community.
The number of people actually infected with the disease is likely much higher than reported numbers because not everyone needs to be tested, for example, the close contacts of positive patients who are usually presumed to have the disease.
Coronavirus in San Diego
Dr. Eric McDonald, medical director with the County Epidemiology Immunization Branch, estimated the actual number of people with COVID-19 in San Diego County is around 10 times the reported total.
"Do not have a false sense of security in terms of the numbers," said Dr. Nick Yphantides, Chief Medical Officer for San Diego County. "In some ways, I don't want to say it is meaningless, but it is not that significant."
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