(Des Moines) Iowa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases that has driven the positivity rate and hospitalizations up significantly. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said they continue to monitor hospitalizations each day to ensure that resources remain stable.
At her press conference this morning, Reynolds said there have been reports that hospital beds in some areas are full. She said her team and the Iowa Department of Public Health are in regular contact with health systems and hospital leaders and they said that is not the case.
Reynolds said older adults continue to experience more serious illness, requiring hospitalization.
Reynolds said because of the significant increase in hospitalizations, they will be updating the hospital data reported on coronavirus.iowa.gov to include the age demographics of currently confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations.
According to the latest data, 1,208 Iowans are in a hospital due to COVID-19, accounting for 21 percent of all hospitalizations statewide. 215 patients were in ICU’s, 334 ICU beds are open and available. 101 patients required a ventilator, which accounts for 25 percent of ventilators available statewide.
Reynolds said since November 1, more than 37,000 new cases have been reported at an average positivity rate of 21.8 percent statewide. New cases were primarily among adults: 23-percent among adults ages 18 to 28, 16-percent were among adults in their 30’s, 15-percent were in their 40’s and 14-percent were in their 50’s. Older adults in their 60’s, 70’s and above the age of 80 accounted for a combined 20-percent of new cases, 11 percent of the cases were among children under the age of 18.