MADISON, Delete. (WBAY) – For the first time in four days, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services received more than 10,000 coronavirus test results. DHS reported 10,938 results on Thursday, and 1 in 3 came back positive for 3,643 newly identified cases. That’s more than the 7-day average of 3,192 cases per day for the past week, and the 33.3% positivity rate is also above the 7-day average, which is 31.9% according to our calculations. Cases were identified in 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.
The death rate from COVID-19 in Wisconsin rose to 0.95% for the second consecutive day, nullifying progress since October 16. The death rate has been slowly rising since November 15, when it hit a low of 0.84%. DHS reported 59 more deaths, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 4,255. The 7-day average remained stable at 44 deaths per day, but 5 of the past 7 days were above that average.
Deaths have been reported in Calumet, Clark, Columbia, Eau Claire, Grant (2), Jackson (2), Kenosha (3), La Crosse (4), Marquette, Milwaukee (11), Monroe, Oneida (2), Outagamie (2), Portage, Racine (5), Sauk, St. Croix, Trempealeau (2), Vilas (2), Walworth (2), Waukesha (3), Waupaca, Winnebago (5) and Wood (3), while the death toll was revised in Rock County.
As always, the county case and death numbers will be updated later in this article.
To date, a total of 448,441 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,273,936 tested negative in Wisconsin. At our current seven-day average, Wisconsin could reach half a million cases by New Year’s Day, less than 10 months after the virus arrived in our state.
The number of recovered cases exceeded 400,000 (403,706), or 90% of all known cases – a number and percentage that has increased since November. Another 40,378 people are still active cases, which is 9% of the known cases.
DHS recognizes that some of these patients who fall under the broad “recovered” category may still have persistent effects from their infection, such as “brain fog” or loss of taste or smell.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
DHS reported that an additional 129 COVID-19 patients had been admitted to hospitals in the past 24 hours. This corresponds to the 7-day average of 130 hospital admissions per day. That moving average has been falling for 12 days now – a positive development.
Based on the latest available data, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) reported that on Wednesday 1,410 people were treated in hospitals for COVID-19, including 314 in intensive care. These are the fewest COVID-19 patients in hospitals ever since October 27 and the fewest in the ICU since October 25. COVID-19 hospital admissions peaked with 2,277 patients on Nov. 17. We will receive updated hospital admissions later Thursday afternoon, and this report will be updated.
| Hospitalized | 24-hour change | ICU | 24-hour change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide | 1.410 | -51 | 314 | -17 |
| Fox Valley | 81 | -5 | 14 | -1 |
| Northeast | 113 | +6 | 23 | -3 |
Daily changes in hospital admissions account for new admissions, layoffs, and deaths.
The alternative care facility on the fairgrounds treated 5 patients on Wednesday, just like Tuesday. The field hospital opened on October 14 to reduce caseload in hospitals by admitting COVID-19 patients who are close to discharge but still need care.
READY FOR THE HOSPITAL
As of Wednesday, the WHA reported that 16% of ICU beds and 17.4% of all hospital beds in the state’s 134 hospitals are open.
The Fox Valley region has 16 of the 104 intensive care beds open (15.4%) and 104 beds in total (12.2%).
The Northeast region has 34 of the 207 ICU beds open (16.4%) and 183 beds in total (19.1%).
These beds are for all patients, not just COVID-19, and whether a bed can be filled depends on whether the hospital has the necessary medical and support staff.
The need for personal protective equipment (PPE) is largely unchanged: 18 hospitals have less than a 7-day supply of coats, 14 have a shortage of paper medical masks (1 more than Tuesday), 11 have less than a week’s supply of glasses, and 7 are low on N95 masks (less than 9 on Tuesdays).
THURSDAY CASE NUMBERS (Counties with new cases or deaths are indicated in bold)
Wisconsin*
- Adams – 1,227 suitcases (+15) (10 dead)
- Ashland – 912 suitcases (+6) (13 dead)
- Barron – 4,132 Chests (+47) (50 dead)
- Bayfield – 859 cases (+12) (16 dead)
- Brown – 24,770 chests (+69) (155 dead)
- Buffalo – 925 boxes (+8) (6 dead)
- Burnett – 934 suitcases (+9) (16 dead)
- Calumet – 4,453 cases (+20) (31 deaths) (+1)
- Chippewa – 5,538 cases (+34) (63 dead)
- Clark – 2,582 suitcases (+34) (46 killed) (+1)
- Columbia – 3,951 cases (+39) (24 deaths) (+1)
- Crawford – 1,489 cases (+10) (11 dead)
- Dane – 31,108 cases (+255) (136 killed)
- Dodge – 9,823 suitcases (+39) (95 dead)
- Door – 1,838 suitcases (+21) (13 dead)
- Douglas – 2,742 boxes (+31) (16 dead)
- Dunn – 3,251 suitcases (+39) (20 dead)
- Eau Claire – 8,649 cases (+49) (67 deaths) (+1)
- Florence – 382 cases (12 deaths)
- Fond du Lac – 9,787 boxes (+90) (60 killed) (+1)
- Forest – 791 suitcases (+3) (20 dead)
- Grant – 3,908 cases (+23) (75 dead) (+2)
- Green – 2,080 cases (+38) (7 dead)
- Green Lake – 1,313 Chests (+11) (10 dead)
- Iowa – 1,540 suitcases (+26) (5 dead)
- Iron – 404 boxes (+3) (10 dead)
- Jackson – 2,114 suitcases (+18) (8 dead) (+2)
- Jefferson – 6,137 cases (+34) (48 dead)
- Juneau – 2,239 cases (+21) (8 dead)
- Kenosha – 11,304 cases (+105) (187 deaths) (+3)
- Kewaunee – 1,909 boxes (+21) (22 dead)
- La Crosse – 9,384 cases (+87) (50 deaths) (+4)
- Lafayette – 1,167 Chests (+4) (4 dead)
- Langlade – 1,704 cases (+9) (29 dead)
- Lincoln – 2,248 suitcases (+21) (36 dead)
- Manitowoc – 5,651 cases (+49) (49 deaths) (+1)
- Marathon – 11,133 cases (+57) (143 dead)
- Marinette – 3,380 boxes (+36) (38 dead)
- Marquette – 1,110 fallen (+2) (16 killed) (+1)
- Menominee – 677 cases (+11) (9 dead)
- Milwaukee – 79,396 (+740) (845 dead) (+11)
- Monroe – 3,148 boxes (+35) (21 killed) (+1)
- Oconto – 3,569 suitcases (+30) (35 dead)
- Oneida – 2,652 cases (+21) (48 dead) (+2)
- Outagamy – 15,189 cases (+83) (147 deaths) (+2)
- Ozaukee – 5,739 cases (+26) (45 dead)
- Pepin – 594 boxes (+6) (4 dead)
- Pierce – 2,701 boxes (+43) (23 dead)
- Polk – 2,754 boxes (+15) (21 dead)
- Portage – 5,195 cases (+20) (45 deaths) (+1)
- Price – 874 boxes (+4) (4 dead)
- Racine – 16,227 boxes (+135) (231 dead) (+5)
- Richland – 1,001 cases (+16) (13 dead)
- Rock – 11,172 cases (+170) (103 deaths) (number of deaths -1 revised by state)
- Rusk – 1037 boxes (+8) (11 dead)
- Sauk – 4,129 cases (+59) (24 deaths) (+1)
- Sawyer – 1088 suitcases (+11) (9 dead)
- Shawano – 3,969 boxes (+31) (53 dead)
- Sheboygan – 10,577 chests (+99) (83 dead)
- Croix – 5,038 Chests (+24) (23 killed) (+1)
- Taylor – 1,500 cases (+11) (13 dead)
- Trempealeau – 2,786 chests (+11) (26 dead) (+2)
- Vernon – 1,376 cases (+19) (20 dead)
- Vilas – 1,476 suitcases (+13) (21 dead) (+2)
- Walworth – 7,105 cases (+78) (74 dead) (+2)
- Washburn – 927 cases (+8) (8 dead)
- Washington – 10,687 cases (+88) (89 dead)
- Waukesha – 31,630 cases (+293) (295 deaths) (+3)
- Waupaca – 3,929 Chests (+10) (94 dead) (+1)
- Waushara – 1,847 cases (+1) (13 dead)
- Winnebago – 14,427 cases (+75) (144 deaths) (+5)
- Wood – 5,157 chests (+54) (36 dead) (+3)
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula **
- Alger – 178 cases (+1) (1 death)
- Baraga – 456 sleeves (+4) (28 dead)
- Chippewa – 476 cases (+6) (9 deaths) (+1)
- Delta – 2,427 deaths (+9) (56 deaths) (+2)
- Dickinson – 1,905 cases (+14) (52 dead)
- Gogebic – 697 cases (+3) (12 dead)
- Houghton – 1,522 suitcases (+8) (17 dead)
- Iron – 740 boxes (+2) (32 dead)
- Keweenaw – 68 cases (1 death)
- Luce – 125 cases
- Mackinac – 249 suitcases (+2) (1 death)
- Marquette – 3,003 suitcases (+11) (48 dead) (+1)
- Menominee – 1,353 cases (+10) (22 deaths) (number of deaths -1 revised by state)
- Ontonagon – 272 cases (14 deaths)
- Schoolcraft – 189 suitcases (+1) (3 dead) (+1)
* Cases and deaths are from daily DHS COVID-19 reports, which may differ from local health department numbers. DHS reports cases from all health departments within a county boundaries, including public health, municipal, and county health departments; provincial websites may not. Also, public health departments update their data at different times, while the DHS freezes the numbers it receives at the same time every day to compile the afternoon report.
DHS reports deaths attributed to COVID-19 or in which COVID-19 contributed to their deaths. Most people severely affected by the coronavirus have underlying illnesses or conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, or obesity, which increase the risk of death from COVID-19. They would have lived longer without their infection. The state can revise case and death numbers after further investigation, such as the victim’s residence, duplicated data, or a correction in laboratory results. Details can be found on the DHS website and on the FAQs.
** The state of Michigan does not update numbers on Sundays. Monday’s figures include updates since Saturday’s reporting deadline.
Symptoms
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified the following possible symptoms of COVID-19:
- Fever of 100.4 or higher
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- muscle strain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
Prevention
- The coronavirus is a new or ‘new’ virus. Nobody has a natural immunity to it. Children and teens seem to recover best from the virus. According to the CDC, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions (heart disease, diabetes, lung disease) are considered at high risk. Precautions are also needed around people with developing or weakened immune systems.
- To help prevent the spread of the virus:
- Stay at least six feet away from other people
- Avoid close contact with people who are or appear sick
- Stay at home as much as possible
- Cancel events and avoid groups, gatherings, performance dates and non-essential appointments
- Stay at home when you are sick, except to receive medical care
- Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
- Cover your mouth and nose with a mask. Use at least a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or use the inside of your elbow.
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