TERRELL, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. (áááSTEVEááá) ALSO NEW TONIGHT. THE STATE IS CHANGING THE WAY IT REPORTS CORONAVIRUS- RELATED DEATHS. UP UNTIL NOW – COVID-19 FATALITIES WERE ONLY REPORTED – IF THE PERSON WHO DIED – HAD A POSITIVE P-C-R TEST RESULT. THIS LEFT OUT ANY DEATHS – IN WHICH A PERSON HAD TESTED POSITIVE – USING AN ANTIGEN TEST. IT ALSO LEFT OUT CASES – IN WHICH COVID-19 WAS LISTED AS THE CAUSE OF DEATH ON A DEATH RECORD – WITHOUT ANY POSITIVE TEST RESULT. THIS IS LARGELY BECAUSE – WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST BEGAN – THE FEDERAL SYSTEM FOR CAUSE-OF-DEATH – DID NOT INCLUDE COVID-19. THE SYSTEM HAS SINCE BEEN UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE VIRUS. NOW – IOWA WILL REPORT ALL COVID-19 DEATHS IN WHICH A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER REPORTS THE CAUSE OF DEATH – OR UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DEATH – AS CORONAVIRUS. THAT IS WITH OR WITHOUT A POSITIVE TEST. IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR KELLY GARCIA SAYS – THIS IS HOW CAUSE-OF-DEATH IS NORMALLY REPORTED. <28:05 I THINK ITS THE TYPICAL PROCESS THAT IS USED AGAIN IN EVERY OTHER WAY THAT AN IOWAN MIGHT DIE OR ANYONE WHO IS VISITING IOWA AND HAPPENS TO PASS AWAY WHILE THEY’RE HERE. THAT IS THIS IS THE TYPICAL PROCESS. NOTHING IS CHANGING AROUND THE WAY A CLINICIAN WOULD DO THEIR WORK. RATHER WE AR CHANGING THE WAY WE RECORD THAT INFORMATION AT THE STATE LEVEL.> (áááSTEVEááá) BECAUSE OF THIS REPORTING CHANGE – SOME COUNTIES W
Iowa reports 1,393 new COVID-19 cases, 4 additional LTC outbreaks
Updated: 10:18 AM CST Dec 8, 2020
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 1,393 new COVID-19 cases as four more long-term care facilities reported outbreaks.As of 10 a.m., the state reported 246,237 total positive cases, 168,055 total recoveries and 2,898 total deaths since the start of the pandemic. A day earlier, the health department reported 244,844 total cases and 2,717 total deaths.The health department announced Monday that a change to how the state reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898. That number stands Tuesday morning.Prior to the announcement, the health department only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result.The health department now lists the total number of virus deaths, deaths with COVID-19 as an underlying cause and deaths with the virus as a contributing factor separately. The state lists 2,650 underlying cause deaths and 248 contributing factor deaths.State data shows 1,255,014 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 16% and a seven-day rate of 12.1%. Iowa reports 67 of the state’s 99 counties have a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 74 the previous day. There are 18 counties with a rate at 20% or higher, down from 25 a day earlier. There are no longer any counties with a rate greater than 30%.The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 increased slightly Tuesday. The health department reports 900 patients hospitalized with the virus, up from 898 a day earlier. The number hospitalized in the last 24 hours increased by 17, now at 111. There are 191 patients in intensive care, down from 200 the previous day. Iowa reports 111 patients on ventilators, down from 120 the previous day. The health department reports approximately 3,280 inpatient beds, 397 ICU beds and 857 ventilators available. Hospitalization analysis shows 645 patients were hospitalized with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 255 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive for the virus. State data shows 63% of those hospitalized are 60 or older, with 34% of the total hospitalized over the age of 79.The state reports four additional long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks, bringing the total to 141. There are 5,407 positive cases and 2,454 recoveries reported within those facilities. The state reports a total of 1,127 deaths in care facilities since the pandemic began.The Iowa Department of Public Health displays COVID-19 information in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a daily summary at 10 a.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 1,393 new COVID-19 cases as four more long-term care facilities reported outbreaks.
As of 10 a.m., the state reported 246,237 total positive cases, 168,055 total recoveries and 2,898 total deaths since the start of the pandemic. A day earlier, the health department reported 244,844 total cases and 2,717 total deaths.
The health department announced Monday that a change to how the state reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898. That number stands Tuesday morning.
Prior to the announcement, the health department only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result.
The health department now lists the total number of virus deaths, deaths with COVID-19 as an underlying cause and deaths with the virus as a contributing factor separately. The state lists 2,650 underlying cause deaths and 248 contributing factor deaths.
State data shows 1,255,014 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 16% and a seven-day rate of 12.1%. Iowa reports 67 of the state’s 99 counties have a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 74 the previous day. There are 18 counties with a rate at 20% or higher, down from 25 a day earlier. There are no longer any counties with a rate greater than 30%.
The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 increased slightly Tuesday. The health department reports 900 patients hospitalized with the virus, up from 898 a day earlier. The number hospitalized in the last 24 hours increased by 17, now at 111. There are 191 patients in intensive care, down from 200 the previous day. Iowa reports 111 patients on ventilators, down from 120 the previous day.
The health department reports approximately 3,280 inpatient beds, 397 ICU beds and 857 ventilators available. Hospitalization analysis shows 645 patients were hospitalized with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 255 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive for the virus. State data shows 63% of those hospitalized are 60 or older, with 34% of the total hospitalized over the age of 79.
The state reports four additional long-term care facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks, bringing the total to 141. There are 5,407 positive cases and 2,454 recoveries reported within those facilities. The state reports a total of 1,127 deaths in care facilities since the pandemic began.
The Iowa Department of Public Health displays COVID-19 information in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a daily summary at 10 a.m.