New COVID-19 cases drop in Iowa, but ICU beds more scarce

The availability of intensive care unit beds in Iowa is at the lowest level since the pandemic began in March 2020.

As of Wednesday, 163 ICU beds were available statewide, an all-time low according to new coronavirus data from the Iowa Department of Public Health. A week ago, there were 182 available beds.

In total, 624 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday, compared to the 638 hospitalizations reported last week.

Of those, 157 were in intensive care units, with 80 on ventilators, up six from last week.

Patients who are not fully vaccinated account for 81.2 percent of the virus patients hospitalized and nearly 84.7 percent of those in intensive care, state data shows.

Only 3 percent of the hospitalizations were among youths 17 and younger, with 5 percent of those hospitalized between ages 18 and 29.

New cases

Iowa reported 10,812 new COVID-19 over the past week, compared to the 12,163 new cases reported last Wednesday.

The state’s seven-day positivity rate was 9.5 percent, slightly lower than last week’s 9.6 percent.

The most new cases — 24 percent — were among those 17 and younger.

The remaining age groups reporting new cases, according to a Gazette analysis, were:

Linn County reported 762 new cases in the past week, a decline from last week’s 920, with a positivity rate of 9.9 percent.

Johnson County added 362 cases in the past week, down from last week’s 390, with a positivity rate of 6.8 percent.

In total, 451,492 Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020.

All Iowa counties continue to report the highest rates of community transmission of the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Osceola County in northwest Iowa last week had reported a drop in the spread in the virus, but it returned to the “red” category this week.

Vaccinations

As of Wednesday, 1,615,060 Iowans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, an increase of 16,131 people from last week, the state reported.

That’s 60.35 percent of Iowans 12 and older and 51.19 percent of all Iowans.

In Linn County, 129,986 residents are fully vaccinated, up 935 from this past week. That is 57.34 percent of the county’s total population and 72.04 percent of those aged 16 and older.

In Johnson County, 93,513 residents are completely vaccinated, up 973 from last week. That’s 75.22 percent of the population 16 and older — a milestone — and 61.87 percent of the county’s total population.

Deaths

Iowa confirmed 80 new deaths on Wednesday, which brings the statewide death toll since March 2020 to 6,563.

The most deaths — 30 — occurred in the 61 to 80 age group. Deaths reported in other age groups were six between 18 and 40; 23 between 41 and 60; and 21 who were age 80 or older.

Of the 80 deaths, one occurred in May, one in July, five in August and 73 in September.

The confirmed deaths were reported in 37 seven counties, with four deaths in Linn County and three in Johnson County.

Polk County recorded the most deaths, with 12, with Black Hawk County and Woodbury following at six deaths each.

Pottawattamie County reported four deaths. Des Moines, Dickinson, Dubuque and Webster counties each reported three deaths.

Two deaths occurred in Mahaska, Muscatine, Palo Alto, Tama, Wapello and Warren counties.

Counties reporting one death each were Appanoose, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Clarke, Clinton, Crawford, Decatur, Delaware, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Ida, Keokuk, Madison, Marshall, Plymouth, Sac and Scott.

Long-term care

The state reported coronavirus outbreaks at 25 long-term care facilities, down from last week’s 29 facilities with outbreaks.

An outbreak is classified as three or more cases among residents and staff.

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