Jeramey Jannene
WI Daily

COVID-19 Testing Continues to Fall Faster Than New Case Rate

13 deaths reported Tuesday.

By - Aug 18th, 2020 10:01 pm
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.

COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.

The 83 labs processing COVID-19 tests in Wisconsin processed 9,988 tests in the past 24 hours according to data released Tuesday afternoon by the Department of Health Services.

The total would have been a strong showing in May, or even parts of June, but now represents a continued downward trend in the number of people being tested for the disease.

An average of 11,237 tests per day have been processed over the past two weeks, with only 66,162 in the past week.

The results come as the labs report that, cumulatively, they have more testing capacity than ever before. They could process 27,912 tests per day.

The tests reported by the state filter out duplicates. A new graph on the state dashboard shows that far more tests are processed than reported, but also shows a declining testing trend.

The number of cases has also fallen, although at a slower rate than testing. While the seven-day testing total is at a level not seen since mid-June, positive cases have only regressed to a seven-day total last seen in mid-July.

The seven-day positive case rate (the percentage of tests indicating a new case), 7.62 percent, was only eclipsed in early March when testing levels were below 1,000 per day. The 14-day rate has ticked upward to 6.85 percent still below the July 21st peak of 7.19 percent.

Thursday DHS reported 634 new cases from 9,988 tests, a one-day positive case rate of 6.35 percent.

The number of people actively hospitalized with a confirmed case of the disease continues to trend upward. There are now 380 people actively hospitalized with a confirmed case of the disease according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, an increase of 15 from the day prior. A total of 5,380 people have been hospitalized with a confirmed case of the disease, with 53 in the past 24 hours.

The state recorded 13 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, with the pandemic total now at 1,052. The 30-day average is 6.93 per day and the 100-day average is 6.52 per day.

According to DHS data, 2,352.4 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 (up from 2,340.6) since the outbreak began. Racine County has 1,905.3 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 1,887.9). Brown County, which is anchored by Green Bay, has 1,776.8 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 1,734.1).

Kenosha (1,667), Iron (1,574.8), Walworth (1,481.4), Trempealeau (1,307.8), Marinette (1,268), Waukesha (1,217.9), Dodge (1,088), Waupaca (1,059.4), Lafayette (1,039.7), Washington (958.1), Rock (926), Dane (922.9) and Ozaukee (910.7) are the only other counties with more than 900 cases per 100,000 residents.

The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 1,156.5 (up from 1,137.7 yesterday). Wisconsin has recorded a per-capita rate of 194 per 100,000 in the past two weeks according to data last updated Wednesday by DHS.

Charts and Maps

Data from DHS.

Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status

Hospitalization status Number of confirmed cases as of 8/18/2020 Percent of confirmed cases as of 8/18/2020
Ever hospitalized 5,380 8%
Never hospitalized 39,011 58%
Unknown 22,439 34%
Total 66,830 100%

Percent of COVID-19 cases resulting in hospitalization within age group

Data from DHS.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by gender

Data from DHS.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race

Data from DHS.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by ethnicity

Data from DHS.

Number of positive cases and deaths by county

Wisconsin County Positive as of 8/18/2020 Negative as of 8/18/2020 Deaths as of 8/18/2020 Rate (positive cases per 100,000 people) as of 8/18/2020 Case fatality percentage (percent of cases who died) as of 8/18/2020
Adams 94 2,905 2 468.3 2%
Ashland 30 1,865 1 190.9 3%
Barron 336 6,703 3 742.5 1%
Bayfield 39 2,195 1 260.1 3%
Brown 4,616 54,696 55 1776.8 1%
Buffalo 49 1,816 2 372.1 4%
Burnett 29 1,847 1 190.1 3%
Calumet 403 7,095 2 809.1 0%
Chippewa 281 11,157 0 441.6 0%
Clark 200 3,994 8 579.9 4%
Columbia 292 10,727 2 512.7 1%
Crawford 91 3,691 0 558.7 0%
Dane 4,890 147,973 39 922.9 1%
Dodge 955 17,563 5 1088.0 1%
Door 120 4,861 3 437.3 3%
Douglas 230 5,756 0 529.9 0%
Dunn 142 6,105 0 319.1 0%
Eau Claire 673 16,375 4 653.5 1%
Florence 17 679 0 392.0 0%
Fond du Lac 809 16,359 8 790.7 1%
Forest 61 1,070 4 676.4 7%
Grant 402 9,453 16 775.6 4%
Green 221 5,467 1 599.5 0%
Green Lake 64 2,701 0 341.2 0%
Iowa 102 4,071 0 431.8 0%
Iron 90 1,271 1 1574.8 1%
Jackson 62 5,704 1 302.4 2%
Jefferson 737 14,357 6 870.6 1%
Juneau 153 6,538 1 579.1 1%
Kenosha 2,806 30,906 60 1667.0 2%
Kewaunee 145 2,763 2 712.2 1%
La Crosse 977 19,270 1 829.0 0%
Lafayette 174 2,574 0 1039.7 0%
Langlade 74 2,510 1 386.1 1%
Lincoln 73 3,653 1 262.1 1%
Manitowoc 414 11,458 1 521.4 0%
Marathon 705 15,898 12 521.2 2%
Marinette 514 7,873 5 1268.0 1%
Marquette 81 2,302 1 532.6 1%
Menominee 26 1,823 0 567.8 0%
Milwaukee 22,447 205,362 472 2352.4 2%
Monroe 253 7,799 2 556.0 1%
Oconto 303 6,632 1 806.8 0%
Oneida 179 5,735 0 506.4 0%
Outagamie 1,433 28,688 15 775.6 1%
Ozaukee 804 13,741 18 910.7 2%
Pepin 46 1,079 0 633.4 0%
Pierce 250 5,373 4 600.9 2%
Polk 144 6,639 2 332.2 1%
Portage 474 9,904 0 671.4 0%
Price 33 1,995 0 244.6 0%
Racine 3,723 49,830 83 1905.3 2%
Richland 38 3,127 4 216.7 11%
Rock 1,498 26,930 26 926.0 2%
Rusk 22 1,494 1 155.1 5%
Sauk 510 15,411 3 801.9 1%
Sawyer 116 3,434 0 708.6 0%
Shawano 222 6,943 0 541.3 0%
Sheboygan 873 17,610 8 757.8 1%
St. Croix 550 11,785 6 625.6 1%
Taylor 78 2,093 2 383.2 3%
Trempealeau 385 5,240 2 1307.8 1%
Vernon 78 4,247 0 255.6 0%
Vilas 80 3,093 0 370.5 0%
Walworth 1,526 18,498 25 1481.4 2%
Washburn 51 2,215 0 325.1 0%
Washington 1,289 17,726 24 958.1 2%
Waukesha 4,898 61,294 66 1227.9 1%
Waupaca 545 8,495 16 1059.4 3%
Waushara 128 5,569 1 530.8 1%
Winnebago 1,293 30,705 19 760.9 1%
Wood 384 10,687 2 524.1 1%
Total 66,830 1,075,397 1,052 1156.5 2%

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