COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations increase ahead of Thanksgiving weekend

Trent Thompson of Mercy Medical Center adjusts his air purifying respirator as he prepares to enter the COVID-19 ward at the Cedar Rapids hospital. The number of Iowans hospitalized with the virus increased for the third week in a row, to 623. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Iowa continues to see increases in new COVID-19 cases, positivity rates and hospitalizations, with virus transmission rates still at the highest levels in almost every county, as the Thanksgiving weekend is upon us.

Iowa reported 10,643 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health’s weekly report, making it the fifth week in a row for increases in new infections. Last week, the state reported 9,132 new cases.

Statewide, the seven-day positivity rate was 10.8 percent in the past week, up from 10.2 percent the previous week. The rate has been increasing for five straight weeks.

Since the virus first appeared in March 2020, 519,894 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa.

Those aged 17 and younger made up 22 percent of the new cases, compared to 21 percent last week. This age group has held the top share of new positive cases for months.

The percentage of new cases by age group in the past week was:

18 to 29: 18 percent
30 to 39: 17 percent
40 to 49: 14 percent
50 to 59: 13 percent
60 to 69: 9 percent
70 to 79: 5 percent
80 and over: 3 percent

Linn County added 727 new cases in the past week, compared to 691 the previous week. The seven-day positivity rate was 11.8 percent, compared to 11.2 percent the week before.

Johnson County reported 533 new infections in the past week, compared to 433 the previous week. The seven-day positivity rate was 10.7 percent, up from 9.9 percent last week.

Ninety-eight counties in Iowa continue to have the highest rate of community transmission of the novel coronavirus, according to a map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Louisa County in southeast Iowa is reporting “substantial” spread.

Hospitalizations

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 increased for the third week in a row, jumping to 623 from last week’s 544.

In the past week, the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care reached 146, up from last week’s 123. Of those, 67 were on ventilators, up from last week’s 57.

Iowans aged 17 and younger represented 2 percent of new hospital admissions, the same as last week. The 18 to 29 age group accounted for 8 percent of new admissions, an increase from 6 percent last week.

Those not fully vaccinated against the virus accounted for 85.6 percent of COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 75.1 percent of patients hospitalized because of COVID-19, according to public health data.

Precautions urged

Corridor hospital officials are urging Iowans to take precautions during this week’s Thanksgiving celebrations to keep serious illness at bay, including wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, taking a coronavirus test and staying home if feeling any symptoms.

They are strongly encouraging all adults to get a COVID-19 booster shot from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics officials are also raising the alarm about a spike in the number of influenza cases in recent weeks, indicating the state could be in for a severe flu season. Providers are urging everyone aged 6 months and older to get a flu shot, or else the hospitals could be overwhelmed with both widespread flu and COVID-19 cases.

Vaccinations

In the past week, another 8,716 Iowans became fully vaccinated against the virus.

That brings the number of fully vaccinated Iowans to 1,688,423, which is 57.05 percent of Iowans aged 5 and older and 53.51 percent of all Iowans.

Linn County reported an additional 1,234 residents became fully vaccinated in the past week. To date, 135,294 county residents are fully vaccinated — 63.64 percent of those aged 5 and older and 59.68 percent of the total county population.

In Johnson County, another 233 residents completed a vaccine series, bringing the number of fully vaccinated residents to 95,997. That’s 67.39 percent of the population aged 5 and older, and 63.52 percent of the entire county population.

Deaths

State public health officials confirmed 86 new deaths as a result of the novel coronavirus in the past week, down from the 102 deaths reported the previous week.

Since March 2020, 7,354 individuals have died as a result of COVID-19 in Iowa.

Of this past week’s confirmed deaths, 64 took place in November and 22 in October.

The weekly confirmed death toll by age groups:

18 to 40: 1
41 to 60: 11
61 to 80: 34
80 and older: 40

Polk County reported the most deaths at 14, followed by Black Hawk County with seven. Four deaths were each reported in Des Moines and Scott counties. Clinton County reported three deaths.

Two deaths were reported in Audubon, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Dallas, Henry, Pottawattamie, Story, Union, Warren, Washington, Winnebago, Winneshiek and Woodbury counties.

Counties confirming one death each were Appanoose, Boone, Bremer, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dubuque, Floyd, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Humboldt, Jasper, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Lucas, Mahaska, Marshall, Mills, Shelby, Wapello and Webster.

Long-term care

Twenty-seven long-term care facilities in Iowa are reporting a coronavirus outbreak — three or more COVID-19 cases among staff and residents. That’s a decrease from the 29 facilities reporting an outbreak last week.

Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.