More than 40,000 young people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Iowa since the pandemic began

More than 40,000 Iowa children, age 17 and younger, have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in Iowa last March.

The state on Friday reported 163 new virus cases among young people in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Friday, bringing the total to 40,008 - 11.5 percent of the 348,609 cases of the virus that have been confirmed in the state since March.

In the past seven days, children have counted for roughly 4 percent of the new COVID-19 cases, according to public health data.

New cases

Iowa on Friday reported 907 new COVID-19 cases and eight new, confirmed deaths.

The state's seven-day average for new cases was 528.

Linn County on Friday reported 12 new cases, for a seven-day average of 16. To date, 19,799 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the county since last March.

Johnson County reported 36 new cases, bringing its total number of cases to 13,445. The county's seven-day average is 21.

Deaths

Of the eight deaths reported Friday, four were of individuals over the age of 80; three were between 61 and 80; and one was between 18 and 40.

The eight deaths took place between Feb. 10 and March 16.

Counties reporting one death each were Allamakee, Hamilton, Jackson, Muscatine, Polk, Wapello, Wayne and Wright.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, 5,716 Iowans have died of the virus since last March.

Vaccines

The state reported 522,289 Iowans were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon. That's 16.55 percent of all Iowans and 20.81 percent of adult Iowans (16 and older).

Within the state, including non-Iowans, 543,193 people have been fully vaccinated.

State data shows 506,570 individuals in Iowa have completed the Moderna or Pfizer two-dose vaccine, while 36,623 have received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

To date, 1,396,382 vaccine doses have been administered, with 1,345,279 shots going to Iowans. Both numbers increased by more than 40,000 over Thursday's total.

In Linn County, 102,080 shots had been given to residents as of 1:30 p.m. Friday, an increase of 2,611 from Thursday. Some 40,509 county residents are now fully vaccinated - 22.45 percent of the county's adult population (16 and over).

In Johnson County, 82,980 shots have been given, with 32,592 county residents fully vaccinated. That's 26.22 percent of the county's adult population.

Hospitalizations

As of 11 a.m. Friday, 207 individuals were being treated for COVID-19 in Iowa's hospitals - the same count as Thursday.

The number of patients in intensive care also held steady at 46, while the number of patients on ventilators dipped from 17 to 13.

Long-term care

Two long-term care facilities in Iowa on Friday reported COVID-19 outbreaks - three or more cases among residents and staff.

The facilities are Urbandale Health Care Center in Polk County and Good Samaritan Society in Wapello County, which reported 12 cases.

March 18 was the first time during the pandemic that Iowa reported no outbreaks in the long-term care facilities. At the height of the winter surge in cases, outbreaks were reported in 170 of Iowa's 429 long-term care facilities on Dec. 3 - almost 40 percent of the state's nursing homes.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 2,231 individuals in Iowa long-term care facilities have died from the virus - 39 percent of the state's death toll.

Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com

Katie Brumbeloe of The Gazette contributed.