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Iowa’s reported COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are up
The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 increased this week, the first time in more than a month
This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)
For the first time in more than a month, the number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 has increased. Infections in the state are up, too, according to data published by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
The state’s weekly coronavirus report, issued Wednesday, shows that COVID-19 infections in Iowa increased by just over 7 percent, from 1,517 last week, to 1,626 this week. It’s the second week in a row the state infection rate has ticked up, after five weeks of decreased virus activity.
It is likely the actual number of new cases is higher than the state’s report. The results of at-home tests, which are readily available to the public, are not reported to public health agencies in Iowa. The state also does not include COVID-19 reinfections of the same person in its weekly reports.
In Linn County, Iowa HHS reported 141 new cases, an increase from 125 reported a week ago. In total, 64,402 Linn County residents have tested positive for the disease since the beginning of the pandemic.
In Johnson County, the state reported 104 new cases, an increase from 102 reported a week ago. In total, 44,745 Johnson County residents have tested positive for the disease since March 2020.
To date, 898,762 Iowans have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Deaths
The state reported 28 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 over the last week, the same number that was reported last week. That total includes two deaths in Johnson County. There were no new deaths confirmed in Linn County.
Since March 2020, Linn County has reported 660 deaths from COVID-19, while Johnson County has reported 182.
A total of 10,653 Iowans have died of the disease since the beginning of the pandemic.
Hospitalizations
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa increased over the last week — the first increase after five weeks of declining hospitalization numbers.
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 135 hospitalizations, an increase of 10 percent from last week’s 122 patients. The number of patients in intensive care increased by one patient, from 15 last week to 16 this week.
