Hospitalizations Haven’t Increased With Expanded COVID-19 Testing
Gap between Brown County outbreak and the rest of the state continues to grow.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
While the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Wisconsin has jumped with an increase in testing, the percentage of people requiring hospitalization has fallen.
The cumulative confirmed hospitalization rate for those with confirmed cases stands at 20 percent (1,608 people) over the length of the outbreak after peaking at 30 percent in mid-April, but the state does not have hospitalization data in 22 percent of cases (1,774 cases).
The state Department of Health Services reported Sunday afternoon that there were 17 new hospitalizations in the past 24 hours, the lowest total reported since April 24th.
The falling percentage could be a result of the expanded guidance on who can get tested. Until mid-April individuals were to only be tested in Wisconsin if they required hospitalization or were a healthcare worker exhibiting symptoms. Now all individuals that would benefit from a diagnosis are encouraged to be tested.
But it could also be a lagging indicator of the disease’s spread in the state. Individuals with confirmed cases could still require hospitalization at a later date. Individuals can be asymptomatic for up to 14 days and could be receiving testing earlier if they have been exposed to a known case. The DHS website reports that 47 percent of people with a confirmed case have either been confirmed to have recovered or were diagnosed over 30 days ago.
The positive case percentage trend is one of the gating criteria used by the state on the Badger Bounce Back plan. Officials are looking for it to consistently drop over two weeks.
The state has averaged 2,973 tests processed over the past week, ahead of the April average of 1,917. DHS reported Sunday that 2,731 people were tested in the past 24 hours. The numbers are substantially below the growing testing capacity, which has reached 11,347 daily tests according to DHS.
The death toll from the virus has reached 339, with five confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours. DHS reports that 195 of the deaths have occurred in Milwaukee County. The county’s residents represent 3,244 of the 7,964 confirmed cases according to state data.
The gap between the percentage of residents with a confirmed case in Milwaukee and Brown counties to grow. Brown County, which is anchored by Green Bay, now has 522.7 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 489.6 yesterday). Milwaukee County has 340 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 329.8). On April 16th, Brown County had only 53.5 cases per 100,000 residents while Milwaukee had 204. Brown County has now reported six deaths, an increase of one from yesterday, and has 1,358 confirmed cases.
Kenosha County has the third-highest rate at 317.2 cases per 100,000 residents. Racine (222.6), Walworth (177.6), Rock (162), Ozaukee (104.2) and Sauk (102.2) are the only other counties with more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents, the latter of two crossing the threshold for the first time in the last 24 hours. The statewide average has risen to 137.8 (up from 132.6).
There are currently 965 ventilators and 433 intensive care unit beds available across the state according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association. Since the data became publicly available on April 10th, WHA has reported an average of 923 ventilators and 445 intensive care unit beds as available.
Charts and Maps
Wisconsin COVID-19 summary
| Status | Number (%) of People as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|
| Negative Test Results | 77,997 |
| Positive Test Results | 7,964 |
| Hospitalizations | 1,608 (20%) |
| Deaths | 339 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitilization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 5/3/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 1,608 | 20% |
| Never hospitalized | 4,582 | 58% |
| Unknown | 1,774 | 22% |
| Total | 7,964 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
| Age Group (Years) | Cases as of 5/3/2020 | Ever hospitalized as of 5/3/2020 | Any Intensive Care as of 5/3/2020 | Deaths as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <10 | 86 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19 | 245 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 20-29 | 1211 | 65 | 9 | 3 |
| 30-39 | 1308 | 105 | 19 | 4 |
| 40-49 | 1390 | 170 | 41 | 10 |
| 50-59 | 1441 | 284 | 77 | 30 |
| 60-69 | 1079 | 355 | 113 | 52 |
| 70-79 | 629 | 321 | 84 | 101 |
| 80-89 | 397 | 215 | 43 | 82 |
| 90+ | 178 | 74 | 15 | 57 |
| Total | 7,964 | 1,608 | 402 | 339 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender
| Gender | Confirmed Cases as of 5/3/2020 | Deaths as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 50% | 40% |
| Male | 50% | 60% |
| Total Number | 7,964 | 339 |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
| Race | Number of cases as of 5/3/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/3/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/3/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 76 | 1% | 4 | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 271 | 3% | 6 | 2% |
| Black | 1,754 | 22% | 106 | 31% |
| White | 4,155 | 52% | 212 | 63% |
| Multiple or Other races | 739 | 9% | 2 | 1% |
| Unknown | 969 | 12% | 9 | 3% |
| Total | 7,964 | 100% | 339 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of cases as of 5/3/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/3/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/3/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,114 | 27% | 22 | 6% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 4,814 | 60% | 299 | 88% |
| Unknown | 1,036 | 13% | 18 | 5% |
| Total | 7,964 | 100% | 339 | 100% |
Number of positive cases and deaths by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 5/3/2020 | Negative as of 5/3/2020 | Deaths as of 5/3/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 5/3/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 5/3/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 4 | 178 | 1 | 19.9 | 25% |
| Ashland | 2 | 142 | 0 | 12.7 | 0% |
| Barron | 7 | 783 | 0 | 15.5 | 0% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 197 | 1 | 20.0 | 33% |
| Brown | 1,358 | 3,662 | 6 | 522.7 | 0% |
| Buffalo | 4 | 207 | 1 | 30.4 | 25% |
| Burnett | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Calumet | 18 | 402 | 0 | 36.1 | 0% |
| Chippewa | 25 | 1,065 | 0 | 39.3 | 0% |
| Clark | 21 | 256 | 4 | 60.9 | 19% |
| Columbia | 29 | 871 | 1 | 50.9 | 3% |
| Crawford | 5 | 248 | 0 | 30.7 | 0% |
| Dane | 436 | 11,500 | 22 | 82.3 | 5% |
| Dodge | 38 | 1,022 | 1 | 43.3 | 3% |
| Door | 15 | 175 | 3 | 54.7 | 20% |
| Douglas | 9 | 544 | 0 | 20.7 | 0% |
| Dunn | 12 | 1,053 | 0 | 27.0 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 36 | 2,072 | 0 | 35.0 | 0% |
| Florence | 2 | 24 | 0 | 46.1 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 73 | 1,463 | 3 | 71.3 | 4% |
| Forest | 0 | 82 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Grant | 48 | 851 | 6 | 92.6 | 13% |
| Green | 15 | 390 | 0 | 40.7 | 0% |
| Green Lake | 3 | 201 | 0 | 16.0 | 0% |
| Iowa | 7 | 297 | 0 | 29.6 | 0% |
| Iron | 2 | 42 | 1 | 35.0 | 50% |
| Jackson | 12 | 365 | 1 | 58.5 | 8% |
| Jefferson | 46 | 1,012 | 0 | 54.3 | 0% |
| Juneau | 18 | 405 | 1 | 68.1 | 6% |
| Kenosha | 534 | 2,202 | 14 | 317.2 | 3% |
| Kewaunee | 18 | 163 | 1 | 88.4 | 6% |
| La Crosse | 29 | 2,291 | 0 | 24.6 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 6 | 145 | 0 | 35.9 | 0% |
| Langlade | 0 | 138 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 1 | 200 | 0 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 13 | 453 | 1 | 16.4 | 8% |
| Marathon | 19 | 826 | 1 | 14.0 | 5% |
| Marinette | 11 | 427 | 1 | 27.1 | 9% |
| Marquette | 3 | 181 | 1 | 19.7 | 33% |
| Menominee | 1 | 75 | 0 | 21.8 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 3,244 | 16,444 | 195 | 340.0 | 6% |
| Monroe | 14 | 847 | 1 | 30.8 | 7% |
| Oconto | 18 | 373 | 0 | 47.9 | 0% |
| Oneida | 6 | 300 | 0 | 17.0 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 68 | 1,520 | 2 | 36.8 | 3% |
| Ozaukee | 92 | 994 | 9 | 104.2 | 10% |
| Pepin | 0 | 124 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Pierce | 10 | 460 | 0 | 24.0 | 0% |
| Polk | 4 | 334 | 0 | 9.2 | 0% |
| Portage | 6 | 376 | 0 | 8.5 | 0% |
| Price | 1 | 101 | 0 | 7.4 | 0% |
| Racine | 435 | 2,572 | 13 | 222.6 | 3% |
| Richland | 13 | 279 | 2 | 74.1 | 15% |
| Rock | 262 | 2,313 | 7 | 162.0 | 3% |
| Rusk | 4 | 130 | 0 | 28.2 | 0% |
| Sauk | 65 | 1,000 | 3 | 102.2 | 5% |
| Sawyer | 3 | 274 | 0 | 18.3 | 0% |
| Shawano | 16 | 410 | 0 | 39.0 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 52 | 936 | 2 | 45.1 | 4% |
| St. Croix | 18 | 612 | 0 | 20.5 | 0% |
| Taylor | 0 | 127 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 3 | 559 | 0 | 10.2 | 0% |
| Vernon | 1 | 447 | 0 | 3.3 | 0% |
| Vilas | 4 | 153 | 0 | 18.5 | 0% |
| Walworth | 197 | 964 | 8 | 191.2 | 4% |
| Washburn | 1 | 177 | 0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Washington | 101 | 1,847 | 4 | 75.1 | 4% |
| Waukesha | 360 | 4,116 | 20 | 90.3 | 6% |
| Waupaca | 10 | 409 | 1 | 19.4 | 10% |
| Waushara | 2 | 189 | 0 | 8.3 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 69 | 1,365 | 1 | 40.6 | 1% |
| Wood | 2 | 531 | 0 | 2.7 | 0% |
| Total | 7,964 | 77,997 | 339 | 137.8 | 4% |
-Data from the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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