South Dakota COVID-19 hospitalizations increase by 73%
Severe illness resulting in hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients took a big jump over the last week, the South Dakota Department of Health reported Wednesday.
The department reported 52 hospital beds were occupied by a patient who had tested positive for the coronavirus. That's a 73% increase from the previous week. Of those occupying a bed, six were receiving intensive care.
No new deaths were reported.
New cases continued to rise in the state, paralleling a rise in cases across the country. With 653 new cases, the seven-day average rose from 85 to 93. Active infections increased by 208 to 1,678.
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Wednesday's report included new information on which variants continue to be circulating the past three months. The majority of cases tested were of the Omicron variant, with 232 found. But a surprising number continued to show the Delta variant, which caused a sharp rise in deaths last fall, also continues to circulate, with 151 found in the past three months.
Only a sample of positive cases are tested to determine lineage.
Minnehaha County residents accounted for 148 new infections. Lincoln County reported 41, Codington County saw 30 and Brown County, 17.
Pennington County had 149.
An additional 282 people received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: COVID-19 hospitalizations rise 73% in a week in South Dakota
