COVID-19 positivity rate first high in months

Ashlee Harper (right) of Cedar Rapids takes a self-administered COVID-19 test Jan. 8 with Kelli Fox of Cedar Rapids at the Coralville Marriott & Convention Center. The COVID-19 positivity rate in Iowa reached 10.2 percent in the past week, the first time that marker has been in the double digits in months. (The Gazette)

The seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate reached 10.2 percent in Iowa this past week, the first time that marker has been in the double-digits in months.

The number of new COVID-19 cases also climbed for the fourth week in the row — to 9,132 — a worrying sign ahead of the upcoming holidays.

The state Department of Public Health reported 9,067 cases in the week before that, and 7,643 new cases the week before that.

Those rising positivity rates and number of new cases come at the same time as Iowa is reporting an all-time low in the number of available intensive care beds — 143 available statewide.

To date, 509,251 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa since March 2020, when the virus first appeared in the state.

Those aged 17 and younger continue to hold the top share — 21 percent — of the positive tests in Iowa. The previous week, that age group accounted for 23 percent.

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

18 to 29: 17 percent
30 to 39: 18 percent
40 to 49: 13 percent
50 to 59: 13 percent
60 to 69: 10 percent
70 to 79: 5 percent
80 and over: 3 percent

Linn County reported 691 new infections among residents this week, a jump from the 566 reported last week. The positivity rate was 11.2 percent, compared to 9.1 percent last week.

Johnson County added 433 new cases, with a positivity rate is 9.9 percent, compared to 8.5 percent last week.

All 99 counties in Iowa have the highest rate of community transmission of the novel coronavirus, according to a map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hospitalizations

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 increased this week to 544 compared to last week’s 524.

The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care increased to 123, up from last week’s 113. The number of patients on a ventilator totaled 57, up from 52 last week.

Those aged 17 or younger represented 2 percent of new hospital admissions, a drop from the 5 percent last week. The 18 to 29 age group, on the other hand, accounted for 6 percent of new admissions, an increase from the 3 percent last week.

Those not fully vaccinated account for 78.9 percent of COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 76.1 percent of patients hospitalized because of COVID-19, according to public health data.

Vaccinations

An additional 6,339 Iowans became fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the past week, bringing the total statewide count to 1,679,707.

That accounts for 56.76 percent of Iowans aged 5 and older and 53.24 percent of the entire state’s population.

In Linn County, an additional 459 residents became fully vaccinated. That brings the total number of fully vaccinated residents to 134,701, which accounts for 63.36 percent of those aged 5 and older and 59.42 percent of the total county population.

Johnson County reported an additional 226 residents completed a vaccine series, bringing the total number of fully vaccinated residents to 95,764. That’s 67.23 percent of the population aged 5 and older, and 63.36 percent of the county’s entire population.

Deaths

State public health officials confirmed 102 new deaths as a result of the novel coronavirus in the past week, compared to 97 deaths reported the previous week.

Of the past week’s confirmed deaths, 50 took place in November, 48 in October and 4 in September.

To date, 7,268 individuals have died from COVID-19 since March 2020.

The weekly confirmed death toll by age groups:

18 to 40: 5
41 to 60: 13
61 to 80: 47
80 and older: 37

Polk County reported the most deaths at 16, followed by Linn County with nine deaths and Scott County with six.

Both Clinton and Mahaska counties reported four deaths each. Three deaths were each reported in Black Hawk, Cass, Cerro Gordo, Lee and Pottawattamie counties.

Two deaths were each reported in Appanoose, Chickasaw, Dallas, Dickinson, Dubuque, Johnson, Marion, Page, Story, Winnebago and Woodbury counties.

Counties confirming one death each were Audubon, Benton, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Delaware, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Iowa, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lucas, Montgomery, Osceola, Union, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Winneshiek and Wright.

Long-term care

Twenty-nine long-term care facilities in Iowa are reporting a coronavirus outbreak, the same as last week. An outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases among staff and residents.

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

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.