COVID-19 Cases Declining In Every Age Group Except 18-24
But seven-day case total is at an all-time high.
COVID-19. Credit: U.S. Army.
The number of cases in individuals aged 18 to 24 is surging and in the past month has gone from the second highest case rate for any age group to five times the next closest age group (25-34). For each of the past two weeks, a Wisconsin Department of Health Services interactive graphing tool shows that every age group except the 18-24 age group has seen a decrease in new cases.
Individuals aged 18 to 24 have a new case rate of 517 cases per 100,000 residents in the past week, while no other age group exceeds 92 cases per 100,000 residents.
Many of the new cases in individuals aged 18 to 24 can be attributed to outbreaks at college campuses said DHS officials during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon. And while young people have lower hospitalization and death rates, state health officials said that shouldn’t cause young people to let down their guard.
“There are severe long-term outcomes of this disease other than death,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer of the DHS Bureau of Communicable Diseases. He ticked off a list of maladies that have been linked to COVID-19 infections including everything from fatigue to long-term lung damage.
“Testing, tracing and quarantine are key to boxing in the virus,” said Palm. “I think the most important thing I can say is if you need a test, please go get tested.” She said it was important for people to stay home while awaiting test results and even if the results come back negative individuals should self-quarantine for a period to make sure they don’t develop delayed symptoms.
The DHS reported 1,348 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon from 12,266 processed tests. That’s the highest one-day testing total reported since August 13th.
The seven-day testing total jumped to 63,193 tests, the highest it has been since August 21st. But the seven-day case total went from a record rolling total of 8,196 cases on September 14th to a new high of 8,827 reported Tuesday.
The seven- and 14-day positive case rates now stand at 13.97 and 12.74 percent, the latter of which is an all-time high. The figure is a measure of the percentage of tests that indicate a new case of the disease. The 14-day figure hit a low of 2.69 percent on June 19th.
Officials have looked for the positive case rate to trend downward to indicate a slowing spread of disease and sufficient testing. Multiple public health benchmarks call for the positive case figure to be sustained under five percent. During an appearance before the Milwaukee Press Club Wednesday Governor Tony Evers called the five percent figure a “golden target” and encouraged more people to get tested.
A lagging indicator of the disease’s spread, hospitalizations, is again trending upward.
A total of 343 Wisconsin residents are actively hospitalized with a confirmed case of the disease according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association COVID-19 dashboard. The figure is up two from Sunday and up 46 from a week ago. DHS reports that 56 people were newly hospitalized in the past 24 hours, bringing the outbreak total to 6,406.
According to DHS data, 2,723.3 out of every 100,000 Milwaukee County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 (up from 2,713.3) since the outbreak began. Brown County has recorded 2,493 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 2,557.1). Iron County, the northernmost county that borders Michigan, has 2,327.2 cases per 100,000 residents (no change). Racine County has recorded 2,182.9 cases per 100,000 residents (up from 2,202.3).
Walworth (2,181.9), Kenosha (1,881.9), Forest (1,818.8), Marinette (1,643.9) and Trempealeau (1,622.8) are the only other counties with more than 1,600 cases per 100,000 residents.
The statewide average of cases per 100,000 residents rose to 1,579.4 (up from 1,556). Wisconsin has recorded a per-capita rate of 191.6 per 100,000 in the past two weeks according to the DHS activity level report released Wednesday.
A total of 91,304 residents have tested positive for the disease.
Charts and Maps
Data from DHS
Percent of COVID-19 cases by hospitalization status
| Hospitalization status | Number of confirmed cases as of 9/15/2020 | Percent of confirmed cases as of 9/15/2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Ever hospitalized | 6,406 | 7% |
| Never hospitalized | 53,135 | 58% |
| Unknown | 31,763 | 35% |
| Total | 91,304 | 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
| Number of confirmed cases | Number of negatives* | Number of probable cases | Number of deaths** | Cases per 100,000 people (counties) |
Case fatality percentage***
|
||
| Adams | 9/15/2020 | 170 | 3,516 | 13 | 3 | 829.50 | 1.80% |
| Ashland | 9/15/2020 | 43 | 2,254 | 6 | 1 | 271.10 | 2.30% |
| Barron | 9/15/2020 | 401 | 8,142 | 21 | 4 | 874.00 | 1.00% |
| Bayfield | 9/15/2020 | 69 | 2,655 | 8 | 1 | 453.80 | 1.40% |
| Brown | 9/15/2020 | 6,657 | 64,028 | 174 | 58 | 2,557.10 | 0.90% |
| Buffalo | 9/15/2020 | 111 | 2,194 | 5 | 2 | 821.70 | 1.80% |
| Burnett | 9/15/2020 | 85 | 2,405 | 3 | 2 | 550.30 | 2.40% |
| Calumet | 9/15/2020 | 713 | 8,828 | 37 | 2 | 1,385.10 | 0.30% |
| Chippewa | 9/15/2020 | 423 | 13,084 | 24 | 0 | 658.70 | 0.00% |
| Clark | 9/15/2020 | 297 | 4,957 | 27 | 8 | 854.90 | 2.70% |
| Columbia | 9/15/2020 | 447 | 12,982 | 42 | 2 | 782.50 | 0.40% |
| Crawford | 9/15/2020 | 130 | 4,147 | 6 | 0 | 785.30 | 0.00% |
| Dane | 9/15/2020 | 7,896 | 175,620 | 442 | 41 | 1,494.10 | 0.50% |
| Dodge | 9/15/2020 | 1,459 | 20,769 | 23 | 8 | 1,635.60 | 0.50% |
| Door | 9/15/2020 | 192 | 6,195 | 10 | 3 | 684.50 | 1.60% |
| Douglas | 9/15/2020 | 336 | 6,877 | 7 | 0 | 765.80 | 0.00% |
| Dunn | 9/15/2020 | 259 | 7,405 | 16 | 0 | 578.40 | 0.00% |
| Eau Claire | 9/15/2020 | 1,286 | 20,231 | 20 | 6 | 1,249.80 | 0.50% |
| Florence | 9/15/2020 | 49 | 783 | 0 | 0 | 1,108.30 | 0.00% |
| Fond du Lac | 9/15/2020 | 1,490 | 21,026 | 45 | 12 | 1,441.40 | 0.80% |
| Forest | 9/15/2020 | 167 | 1,367 | 2 | 4 | 1,818.80 | 2.40% |
| Grant | 9/15/2020 | 624 | 11,904 | 37 | 19 | 1,191.40 | 3.00% |
| Green | 9/15/2020 | 362 | 7,035 | 20 | 2 | 982.00 | 0.60% |
| Green Lake | 9/15/2020 | 146 | 3,356 | 33 | 0 | 764.90 | 0.00% |
| Iowa | 9/15/2020 | 134 | 4,907 | 26 | 0 | 563.00 | 0.00% |
| Iron | 9/15/2020 | 136 | 1,426 | 7 | 1 | 2,327.20 | 0.70% |
| Jackson | 9/15/2020 | 94 | 6,013 | 3 | 1 | 455.30 | 1.10% |
| Jefferson | 9/15/2020 | 1,097 | 17,426 | 70 | 7 | 1,295.50 | 0.60% |
| Juneau | 9/15/2020 | 278 | 7,763 | 3 | 1 | 1,033.10 | 0.40% |
| Kenosha | 9/15/2020 | 3,166 | 35,349 | 359 | 65 | 1,881.90 | 2.10% |
| Kewaunee | 9/15/2020 | 277 | 3,319 | 4 | 2 | 1,341.80 | 0.70% |
| La Crosse | 9/15/2020 | 1,889 | 22,605 | 129 | 2 | 1,596.30 | 0.10% |
| Lafayette | 9/15/2020 | 198 | 3,081 | 5 | 0 | 1,172.80 | 0.00% |
| Langlade | 9/15/2020 | 112 | 2,997 | 1 | 2 | 566.30 | 1.80% |
| Lincoln | 9/15/2020 | 115 | 4,284 | 8 | 1 | 404.30 | 0.90% |
| Manitowoc | 9/15/2020 | 734 | 13,443 | 33 | 2 | 914.60 | 0.30% |
| Marathon | 9/15/2020 | 905 | 19,081 | 80 | 14 | 671.70 | 1.50% |
| Marinette | 9/15/2020 | 673 | 8,988 | 18 | 7 | 1,643.90 | 1.00% |
| Marquette | 9/15/2020 | 147 | 2,759 | 9 | 1 | 955.90 | 0.70% |
| Menominee | 9/15/2020 | 34 | 2,082 | 0 | 1 | 775.90 | 2.90% |
| Milwaukee | 9/15/2020 | 25,721 | 240,698 | 1568 | 517 | 2,723.30 | 2.00% |
| Monroe | 9/15/2020 | 330 | 9,268 | 10 | 2 | 717.40 | 0.60% |
| Oconto | 9/15/2020 | 575 | 7,844 | 33 | 4 | 1,514.70 | 0.70% |
| Oneida | 9/15/2020 | 286 | 7,233 | 6 | 2 | 796.40 | 0.70% |
| Outagamie | 9/15/2020 | 2,888 | 36,150 | 182 | 24 | 1,571.30 | 0.80% |
| Ozaukee | 9/15/2020 | 1,112 | 17,217 | 90 | 18 | 1,258.50 | 1.60% |
| Pepin | 9/15/2020 | 51 | 1,279 | 2 | 0 | 694.00 | 0.00% |
| Pierce | 9/15/2020 | 341 | 6,704 | 98 | 6 | 819.00 | 1.80% |
| Polk | 9/15/2020 | 212 | 8,039 | 6 | 2 | 482.90 | 0.90% |
| Portage | 9/15/2020 | 974 | 11,785 | 31 | 3 | 1,377.30 | 0.30% |
| Price | 9/15/2020 | 39 | 2,348 | 2 | 0 | 282.40 | 0.00% |
| Racine | 9/15/2020 | 4,299 | 59,917 | 394 | 94 | 2,202.30 | 2.20% |
| Richland | 9/15/2020 | 74 | 3,898 | 11 | 4 | 417.80 | 5.40% |
| Rock | 9/15/2020 | 2,063 | 32,687 | 176 | 32 | 1,287.20 | 1.60% |
| Rusk | 9/15/2020 | 39 | 2,017 | 5 | 1 | 268.30 | 2.60% |
| Sauk | 9/15/2020 | 730 | 18,202 | 57 | 3 | 1,164.50 | 0.40% |
| Sawyer | 9/15/2020 | 185 | 4,255 | 0 | 1 | 1,116.50 | 0.50% |
| Shawano | 9/15/2020 | 407 | 8,372 | 4 | 0 | 986.40 | 0.00% |
| Sheboygan | 9/15/2020 | 1,277 | 20,726 | 51 | 12 | 1,115.10 | 0.90% |
| St. Croix | 9/15/2020 | 733 | 14,216 | 60 | 7 | 831.40 | 1.00% |
| Taylor | 9/15/2020 | 137 | 2,538 | 3 | 3 | 665.70 | 2.20% |
| Trempealeau | 9/15/2020 | 476 | 6,039 | 17 | 2 | 1,622.80 | 0.40% |
| Vernon | 9/15/2020 | 144 | 5,167 | 4 | 0 | 475.50 | 0.00% |
| Vilas | 9/15/2020 | 148 | 3,818 | 3 | 1 | 683.40 | 0.70% |
| Walworth | 9/15/2020 | 2,239 | 21,735 | 141 | 33 | 2,181.90 | 1.50% |
| Washburn | 9/15/2020 | 83 | 2,581 | 2 | 1 | 523.60 | 1.20% |
| Washington | 9/15/2020 | 2,016 | 22,772 | 68 | 32 | 1,499.00 | 1.60% |
| Waukesha | 9/15/2020 | 6,170 | 74,293 | 598 | 85 | 1,547.80 | 1.40% |
| Waupaca | 9/15/2020 | 821 | 9,735 | 98 | 19 | 1,587.10 | 2.30% |
| Waushara | 9/15/2020 | 243 | 6,215 | 4 | 2 | 1,000.10 | 0.80% |
| Winnebago | 9/15/2020 | 2,100 | 36,442 | 105 | 22 | 1,240.10 | 1.00% |
| Wood | 9/15/2020 | 590 | 13,052 | 29 | 3 | 797.00 | 0.50% |
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.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Governors Tony Evers, JB Pritzker, Tim Walz, and Gretchen Whitmer Issue a Joint Statement Concerning Reports that Donald Trump Gave Russian Dictator Putin American COVID-19 Supplies - Gov. Tony Evers - Oct 11th, 2024
- MHD Release: Milwaukee Health Department Launches COVID-19 Wastewater Testing Dashboard - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Jan 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee County Announces New Policies Related to COVID-19 Pandemic - County Executive David Crowley - May 9th, 2023
- DHS Details End of Emergency COVID-19 Response - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 26th, 2023
- Milwaukee Health Department Announces Upcoming Changes to COVID-19 Services - City of Milwaukee Health Department - Mar 17th, 2023
- Fitzgerald Applauds Passage of COVID-19 Origin Act - U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald - Mar 10th, 2023
- DHS Expands Free COVID-19 Testing Program - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Feb 10th, 2023
- MKE County: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising - Graham Kilmer - Jan 16th, 2023
- Not Enough Getting Bivalent Booster Shots, State Health Officials Warn - Gaby Vinick - Dec 26th, 2022
- Nearly All Wisconsinites Age 6 Months and Older Now Eligible for Updated COVID-19 Vaccine - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Dec 15th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
