State Continues to Record Increase in Hospitalizations Due to COVID-19

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says the confirmed number of coronavirus cases in the state has again increased by more than 1,000 since the last report. According to the agency, 1,454 new cases have been confirmed in the past 24 hours. In addition, DHS says the seven-day average of confirmed coronavirus cases is now 1,101.

In the past 24 hours, the state has reported 128 more hospitalizations for COVID-19 treatment. We calculate that the state now has an average of 67 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day. 5.37% of all known coronavirus cases in Wisconsin in the past year and a half resulted in hospitalization, or 33,915 people. Most have recovered, but some are so called “long haul” who have lingering effects from their infection, ranging from chronic headaches to breathing problems to “brain fog”.

When you factor in discharges and deaths with the new admissions, 525 people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the state, 44 more than 24 hours ago, according to the latest report from the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). Of those patients, 156 are in intensive care, four fewer than Monday’s report. The WHA has not listed more than 500 total hospital patients in one day since February 9.

The WHA says hospitals in the Northeast Healthcare Region are treating 42 patients, 16 of whom are in intensive care. That’s 1 more in intensive care and three more patients in total since Monday. Meanwhile, Fox Valley hospitals reported treating 24 patients – one less than Monday – including 6 in intensive care, also a decrease of one since the last report.

The CDC says the delta variant is more contagious than the original COVID-19 virus. CDC revised masking guidelines after discovering vaccinated people infected with the delta variant can carry the same viral load like the unvaccinated and pass it on to others, but the vaccinated are less likely to require hospitalization even if they get sick.

According to DHS, more than 98% of all COVID-19 cases from January 1, 2021 to July 22, 202 have occurred in people who were not fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the state’s positivity rate – the percentage of all tests that come back positive – declined slightly, from 7.4% to 7.2%. Since Wisconsin’s first patient was hospitalized over a year and a half ago for COVID-19 (the disease caused by the coronavirus), the state has seen 631,750 confirmed cases.

The state said the seven-day average of COVID-19 deaths fell from 1 to 2 on Tuesday. In addition, state health officials have increased the cumulative number of deaths from the disease in Wisconsin from five to 7,459. The state’s death rate – which concerns all known cases – held steady at 1.18% for a second day.

While Action 2 News does not provide all Wisconsin County case and death numbers, none of the five deaths caused by COVID-19 in the past 24 hours were in our viewing area. Again, no COVID-19 related deaths have been reported to the state in the past 30 days. You can find county-by-county cases and deaths later in this article.

Vaccination

The state reports that an additional 4,280 Wisconsin residents reported receiving a dose on Tuesday and 2,518 more are now considered fully immunized.

According to our calculations, an average of 5,766 Wisconsin residents began their immunizations each day for the past 7 days, and an average of 2,860 people were fully immunized.

DHS reports that 52.8% of the state’s entire population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 49.8% of the fully vaccinated population. Not counting children – who up to 12 years of age are not eligible for the vaccine – 63.7% of Wisconsin’s adult population are vaccinated, of which 60.4% receive their full dose.

VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY POPULATION (TUESDAY)

DHS shows that there has been little change in vaccination percentages for age groups across the state since Monday.

Of the eight age groups, only three groups reported a percentage change for completing the vaccine series. These three age groups each reported an increase of 0.1%.

For those who started the diet, four age groups reported a 0.1% increase, while 12-15 year olds and 16-17 year olds each saw a 0.2% increase. Two other age groups did not see a percentage increase.

Meanwhile, the agency has yet to show a percentage increase for those 65 and over this week.

Wisconsin population vaccinated, by age group (and change from last report)

• 12-15: 36.7% received one dose (+0.2) / 30.2% completed (+0.1)
• 16-17: 44.7% received one dose (+0.2) / 39.6% completed (+0.1)
• 18-24: 45.9% received one dose (+0.1) / 41.6% completed (+0.1)
• 25-34: 50.1% received one dose (+0.0) / 46.4% completed (+0.0)
• 35-44: 58.1% received one dose (+0.1) / 54.4% completed (+0.0)
• 45-54: 60.2% received one dose (+0.1) / 56.8% completed (+0.0)
• 55-64: 70.2% received one dose (+0.1) / 67.1% completed (+0.0)
• 65+: 84.1% received one dose (+0.0) / 81.9% completed (+0.0)

CASE AND DEATH RATE IN MARDI COUNTY (counties with new cases or deaths are shown in bold) **

• Brown – 32,637 cases (+105) (259 deaths)
• Calumet – 5,990 cases (+17) (51 deaths)
• Dickinson (Michigan) * – 2,445 cases (+5) (59 deaths)
• Dodge – 12,235 crates (+10) (178 deaths)
• Door – 2,678 cases (+3) (30 deaths)
• Florence – 458 cases (13 deaths)
• Fond du Lac – 12,891 squares (+12) (133 deaths)
• Forest – 990 crates (+4) (24 deaths)
• Gogebic (Michigan) * – 1,106 cases (+5) (24 deaths)
• Lac Vert – 1,653 cases (+6) (21 deaths)
• Iron (Michigan) * – 1,009 cases (+3) (43 deaths)
• Kewaunee – 2,412 cases (+2) (28 deaths)
• Langlade – 2,082 cases (+1) (35 deaths)
• Manitowoc – 7,786 cases (+6) (76 deaths)
• Marinette – 4,294 cases (+8) (68 deaths)
• Menominee (Mich.) * – 1,831 cases (+8) (41 deaths)
• Menominee – 819 cases (+2) (11 deaths)
• Oconto – 4,633 cases (+11) (63 deaths)
• Outagamy – 21 238 cases (+33) (226 deaths)
• Shawano – 4,846 cases (+12) (73 deaths)
• Sheboygan – 14,265 cases (+66) (154 deaths)
• Waupaca – 5,072 cases (+14) (123 deaths)
• Waushara – 2,247 cases (+5) (35 deaths)
• Winnebago – 18,793 cases (+51) (204 deaths)

* The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Hospital Association do not issue updates on weekends. The Michigan Department of Health only updates the information on Tuesdays and Fridays.

** Cases and deaths are from state COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. The Wisconsin DHS reports cases of all health departments within a county, including tribal, municipal, and county health departments; county websites cannot. Additionally, public health departments update their data at different times, while DHS freezes the numbers it receives at the same time each day to compile the afternoon report.

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