COVID-19 hospitalizations, cases trend downward after weekslong increases

Trent Thompson, medical ICU shift supervisor, adjusts the powered air purifying respirator as he prepares to enter the COVID-19 ward at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids this past September. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

New COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations in Iowa are trending downward after reaching record-level totals this month.

According to the latest data released Wednesday by the Iowa Department of Public Health, the number of patients hospitalized for the coronavirus dropped this week to 747, a decline following six consecutive weeks of increases.

The state reported 823 patients hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 last week, marking the first time since Dec. 12, 2020, that coronavirus hospitalizations were at or above 800.

Total available intensive care beds dipped to another all-time low this past week — the second week in a row — after reaching 130 available beds statewide on Dec. 21.

As of Wednesday, COVID-19 patients in intensive care reached 158, a decline from the 173 reported last week. Total number of patients on ventilators reached 101, compared to 103 last week.

According to the state public health’s weekly coronavirus report, those not fully vaccinated account for 88 percent of patients in intensive care and 81.5 percent of all patients hospitalized for COVID-19.

Among the 8 children under the age of 18 hospitalized for COVID-19, all are unvaccinated, state data shows. Last week, there were 19 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations, including 18 children who were unvaccinated.

Those between the ages of 18 and 29 continue to represent the largest share of new hospital admissions over the past week, at 7 percent — an uptick from the 6 percent last week. Those aged 17 and younger represented 1 percent of new hospital admissions, compared to 4 percent last week.

New cases

The state public health department reported 10,381 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, a slight decline from the 10,476 new cases reported the week before. In total, 563,279 individuals have tested positive for the coronavirus in Iowa since March 2020.

Iowa’s average positivity rate over the past seven days was 10.8 percent, the same as last week.

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

17 and younger — 16 percent
18 to 29 — 19 percent
30 to 39 — 19 percent
40 to 49 — 15 percent
50 to 59 — 14 percent
60 to 69 — 10 percent
70 to 79 — 5 percent
80 and over — 3 percent.

Linn County reported 943 new cases, compared to the 955 new infections added last week. The average seven-day positivity rate was 12.7 percent this week.

Johnson County added 488 new cases this week, an increase from the 388 cases last week. The county’s seven-day positivity rate was 9.5 percent.

All 99 counties in Iowa remain in the “red zone,” the maximum level of community transmission of the virus per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccinations

In the past week, an additional 11,568 Iowans became fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In total, 1,751,654 individuals are immunized, which accounts for 59.19 percent of Iowans aged five and older and 55.52 percent of all Iowans.

As of Wednesday, 59,902 fully vaccinated individuals received a booster shot, bringing the total number of booster shots administered in Iowa since August to 758,738.

In Linn County, an additional 1,099 individuals completed a vaccine series, bringing the total number of fully vaccinated residents to 140,716. That accounts for 66.19 of the county population aged five and older, and 62.07 percent of the total population.

Johnson County reported another 465 residents became fully vaccinated. That brings the total vaccinated population to 101,585 — which makes up 71.32 percent of residents aged five and older and 67.21 percent of the total county population.

Deaths

State public health officials confirmed 119 new deaths as a result of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the total COVID-19 death toll in Iowa to 7,799.

Last week, the state had confirmed 130 new fatalities from the virus.

Of the past week’s confirmed deaths, 81 took place in December, 37 in November and one in October.

The confirmed death toll in the past week by age group was:

18 to 40 — 1
41 to 60 — 21
61 to 80 — 61
80 and older — 36.

Johnson County reported five deaths, bringing its COVID-19-related death toll since March 2020 to 116. Linn County tallied three deaths, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 439 as of Wednesday.

Polk County had the highest death toll at 15, followed by Pottawattamie County with 14.