COVID-19 cases continue to increase across Iowa amid a surge in respiratory illnesses

Tim Webber, Des Moines Register
·2 min read
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Hospitals in Iowa are struggling to keep up with a surge in respiratory illnesses such as RSV and the flu, and the COVID-19 pandemic is adding to the challenges. New reported cases of the disease and hospitalizations from it are up, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health and US. Department of Health and Human Services.

The state health department reported 3,704 new cases this week, making this the sixth consecutive week with an increase in reported cases. The total averages out to about 529 new cases per day. Last week, that average was 496 per day, and the week prior, it was 386.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 complications are also up in Iowa. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 256 people hospitalized with the disease in Iowa, which is nearly double the amount reported one month ago when the state had 137 COVID-19 patients.

More:Flu season may be really bad in Iowa this year. Here's why, and how to protect yourself

Twenty-seven more Iowans have died from COVID-19, the state reported this week. Iowa's pandemic death toll now stands at 10,343.

The Iowa Department of Public Health also released its monthly update of new data on COVID-19 vaccinations. As of Dec. 4, 59.9% of Iowa's population has been fully vaccinated — receiving either both doses of a two-dose vaccination series, or receiving a single-dose vaccination series such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Of those fully vaccinated Iowans, about a quarter — 467,937 — have also received a bivalent booster dose, which are formulated to offer additional protection against the current dominant strains of the coronavirus. That's about 15% of the state's overall population.

Nearly half of the Iowans who have received bivalent doses are 65 years old or older, according to the state health department.

The latest COVID-19 numbers in Iowa

The latest data in Iowa since March 2020 for the pandemic, as of midnight Dec. 14, compared with one week earlier:

  • Confirmed cases: 880,770, an increase of 3,704.

  • Deaths: 10,343, an increase of 27.

  • Percentage of Iowans who are fully vaccinated: 59.9%

How many people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa?

Note: Hospitalization data for COVID-19 is no longer available through the Iowa Department of Public Health. The data below is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Hospitalizations: 256.

  • Patients in intensive care: 16.

How many people in Polk and Dallas counties are vaccinated?

In Polk County, 67.7% of residents are fully vaccinated, according to this month's new data. That's an increase of 0.2 percentage points over the previous month.

In Dallas County, 66.5% of residents are fully vaccinated, an increase of 0.3 percentage points over the previous month.

The five counties in Iowa with the highest percentage of their population fully vaccinated as of Dec. 4 are Johnson (71.6%), Buena Vista (68.9%), Polk (67.7%), Marshall (67.3%) and Linn (66.6%) counties.

Tim Webber is a data visualization specialist for the Register. Reach him at twebber@registermedia.com, 515-284-8532, and on Twitter at @HelloTimWebber.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: COVID-19 in Iowa: Coronavirus, other respiratory illnesses on the rise