Positive COVID-19 Test Rate Falls to Record Low
Milwaukee County crosses 5,000 case threshold, has positive rate nearly twice the state average.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive in the past 24 hours plunged to a new single-day low Monday afternoon even as Wisconsin recorded an above-average number of tests processed.
Of the 4,972 tests processed in the past 24 hours, the Department of Health Services reports that only 2.90 percent (144) came back positive. That’s below the seven-day average of 5.86 percent and 14-day average of 6.50 percent.
The previous 30-day low, 3.93 percent, was reported Tuesday, May 12th.
The number of people tested surged in the past week as the Wisconsin National Guard established a number of free, drive-through testing sites that allowed asymptomatic individuals to be tested.
Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer of the DHS Bureau of Communicable Diseases, characterized the data as good news, but not the only data to look at.
Since the outbreak started, 12,687 Wisconsin residents have tested positive for COVID-19 with 2,068 requiring hospitalization.
The death toll from the virus has reached 459, with six newly-confirmed deaths in the past 24 hours. Four percent of people with confirmed cases have died from the disease.
Milwaukee County is the site of 5,005 of the 12,687 confirmed cases and 256 of the 459 deaths according to state data.
Both Brown and Racine counties continue to have greater per capita outbreaks than Milwaukee.
Brown County, which is anchored by Green Bay, has 809.1 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 806.8 yesterday). Racine County has 529.2 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 520.5). Milwaukee County has 524.5 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 518.2).
Kenosha (503.8), Walworth (275.7) and Rock (267) are the only other counties with more than 150 cases per 100,000 residents.
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents has risen to 219.6 (up from 217.1).
There are currently 954 ventilators and 444 intensive care unit (ICU) 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 928 ventilators and 425 ICU beds as available.
Charts and Maps
Wisconsin COVID-19 summary
| Status | Number (%) of People as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|
| Negative Test Results | 144,502 |
| Positive Test Results | 12,687 |
| Hospitalizations | 2,068 (16%) |
| Deaths | 459 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitalization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 5/18/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 2,068 | 16% |
| Never hospitalized | 7,309 | 58% |
| Unknown | 3,310 | 26% |
| Total | 12,687 | 100% |
Summary of COVID-19 cases by age group
| Age Group (Years) | Cases as of 5/18/2020 | Ever hospitalized as of 5/18/2020 | Any Intensive Care as of 5/18/2020 | Deaths as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <10 | 229 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 10-19 | 637 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| 20-29 | 2,110 | 91 | 16 | 4 |
| 30-39 | 2,223 | 139 | 23 | 5 |
| 40-49 | 2,179 | 241 | 59 | 11 |
| 50-59 | 2,078 | 359 | 92 | 39 |
| 60-69 | 1,540 | 454 | 138 | 75 |
| 70-79 | 860 | 398 | 99 | 129 |
| 80-89 | 559 | 265 | 50 | 111 |
| 90+ | 272 | 91 | 18 | 85 |
| Total | 12,687 | 2,068 | 496 | 459 |
Percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender
| Gender | Confirmed Cases as of 5/18/2020 | Deaths as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Female | 51% | 42% |
| Male | 49% | 58% |
| Unknown | 0% | 0% |
| Total Number | 12,687 | 459 |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race
| Race | Number of cases as of 5/18/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/18/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/18/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian | 146 | 1% | 5 | 1% |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 468 | 4% | 10 | 2% |
| Black | 2,545 | 20% | 132 | 29% |
| White | 6,764 | 53% | 302 | 66% |
| Multiple or Other races | 1,387 | 11% | 3 | 1% |
| Unknown | 1,377 | 11% | 7 | 2% |
| Total | 12,687 | 100% | 459 | 100% |
Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | Number of cases as of 5/18/2020 | Percent of cases as of 5/18/2020 | Number of deaths as of 5/18/2020 | Percent of deaths as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,917 | 31% | 36 | 8% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 7,275 | 57% | 415 | 90% |
| Unknown | 1,495 | 12% | 8 | 2% |
| Total | 12,687 | 100% | 459 | 100% |
Number of positive cases and deaths by county
| Wisconsin County | Positive as of 5/18/2020 | Negative as of 5/18/2020 | Deaths as of 5/18/2020 | Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 5/18/2020 | Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 5/18/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 4 | 395 | 1 | 19.9 | 25% |
| Ashland | 2 | 313 | 0 | 12.7 | 0% |
| Barron | 11 | 1,332 | 0 | 24.3 | 0% |
| Bayfield | 3 | 316 | 1 | 20.0 | 33% |
| Brown | 2,102 | 9,337 | 23 | 809.1 | 1% |
| Buffalo | 5 | 492 | 1 | 38.0 | 20% |
| Burnett | 2 | 306 | 1 | 13.1 | 50% |
| Calumet | 58 | 873 | 1 | 116.4 | 2% |
| Chippewa | 41 | 1,803 | 0 | 64.4 | 0% |
| Clark | 28 | 565 | 4 | 81.2 | 14% |
| Columbia | 36 | 1,503 | 1 | 63.2 | 3% |
| Crawford | 23 | 591 | 0 | 141.2 | 0% |
| Dane | 538 | 18,199 | 25 | 101.5 | 5% |
| Dodge | 108 | 2,029 | 1 | 123.0 | 1% |
| Door | 33 | 528 | 3 | 120.3 | 9% |
| Douglas | 13 | 911 | 0 | 30.0 | 0% |
| Dunn | 20 | 1,543 | 0 | 44.9 | 0% |
| Eau Claire | 70 | 3,493 | 0 | 68.0 | 0% |
| Florence | 2 | 210 | 0 | 46.1 | 0% |
| Fond du Lac | 142 | 2,770 | 3 | 138.8 | 2% |
| Forest | 9 | 247 | 0 | 99.8 | 0% |
| Grant | 74 | 1,675 | 10 | 142.8 | 14% |
| Green | 45 | 843 | 0 | 122.1 | 0% |
| Green Lake | 11 | 451 | 0 | 58.6 | 0% |
| Iowa | 11 | 499 | 0 | 46.6 | 0% |
| Iron | 2 | 74 | 1 | 35.0 | 50% |
| Jackson | 15 | 680 | 1 | 73.1 | 7% |
| Jefferson | 61 | 1,717 | 2 | 72.1 | 3% |
| Juneau | 22 | 688 | 1 | 83.3 | 5% |
| Kenosha | 848 | 4,035 | 18 | 503.8 | 2% |
| Kewaunee | 30 | 388 | 1 | 147.3 | 3% |
| La Crosse | 45 | 3,559 | 0 | 38.2 | 0% |
| Lafayette | 16 | 344 | 0 | 95.6 | 0% |
| Langlade | 0 | 290 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Lincoln | 3 | 333 | 0 | 10.8 | 0% |
| Manitowoc | 22 | 1,141 | 1 | 27.7 | 5% |
| Marathon | 33 | 1,596 | 1 | 24.4 | 3% |
| Marinette | 25 | 1,138 | 2 | 61.7 | 8% |
| Marquette | 3 | 320 | 1 | 19.7 | 33% |
| Menominee | 2 | 160 | 0 | 43.7 | 0% |
| Milwaukee | 5,005 | 28,412 | 256 | 524.5 | 5% |
| Monroe | 15 | 1,525 | 1 | 33.0 | 7% |
| Oconto | 30 | 940 | 0 | 79.9 | 0% |
| Oneida | 7 | 523 | 0 | 19.8 | 0% |
| Outagamie | 142 | 3,531 | 5 | 76.9 | 4% |
| Ozaukee | 122 | 1,348 | 11 | 138.2 | 9% |
| Pepin | 1 | 302 | 0 | 13.8 | 0% |
| Pierce | 21 | 871 | 0 | 50.5 | 0% |
| Polk | 6 | 791 | 0 | 13.8 | 0% |
| Portage | 7 | 1,059 | 0 | 9.9 | 0% |
| Price | 1 | 182 | 0 | 7.4 | 0% |
| Racine | 1,034 | 5,179 | 18 | 529.2 | 2% |
| Richland | 14 | 451 | 3 | 79.8 | 21% |
| Rock | 432 | 4,376 | 14 | 267.0 | 3% |
| Rusk | 4 | 212 | 0 | 28.2 | 0% |
| Sauk | 77 | 2,192 | 3 | 121.1 | 4% |
| Sawyer | 4 | 541 | 0 | 24.4 | 0% |
| Shawano | 33 | 840 | 0 | 80.5 | 0% |
| Sheboygan | 69 | 1,853 | 3 | 59.9 | 4% |
| St. Croix | 48 | 1,713 | 0 | 54.6 | 0% |
| Taylor | 0 | 235 | 0 | 0.0 | 0% |
| Trempealeau | 11 | 960 | 0 | 37.4 | 0% |
| Vernon | 11 | 773 | 0 | 36.0 | 0% |
| Vilas | 4 | 283 | 0 | 18.5 | 0% |
| Walworth | 284 | 1,899 | 12 | 275.7 | 4% |
| Washburn | 1 | 338 | 0 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Washington | 149 | 2,465 | 4 | 110.8 | 3% |
| Waukesha | 482 | 7,403 | 23 | 120.8 | 5% |
| Waupaca | 17 | 887 | 1 | 33.0 | 6% |
| Waushara | 7 | 507 | 0 | 29.0 | 0% |
| Winnebago | 124 | 2,965 | 1 | 73.0 | 1% |
| Wood | 7 | 1,259 | 0 | 9.6 | 0% |
| Total | 12,687 | 144,502 | 459 | 219.6 | 4% |
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
