Clark County’s COVID-19 case rate entered a fifth week of increase as the health department reported over 4,200 cases and more than two dozen deaths associated with the disease in the past week.
Clark County Public Health’s Jan. 27 report showed 2,549.1 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over 14 days, about 16% more than the 2,205.9 reported the week prior. The weekly spike in the case rate was smaller than the prior week’s increase, though it brings the rate to more than four times the peak of any previous wave of the disease.
Though the recent case rate continued to rise, the number of cases reported indicate the spike may be on the decline in the next few weeks. Between Jan. 20 and Jan. 27, the health department reported 4,207 additional COVID-19 cases, a significant decrease from the 9,651 cases reported between Jan. 13 and Jan. 20. The recent case rate is delayed by several days compared to Clark County Public Health’s latest case counts.
The recent update included 1,674 confirmed cases and 2,533 probable cases based on antigen tests. The county has had a total of 60,277 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 11,962 probable cases since the outbreak began.
There were 6,706 active cases as of Jan. 27, which are ones still in the isolation period. The number was about 11% higher than what was reported Jan. 20.
Clark County Public Health’s Jan. 27 report saw seven more confirmed deaths from COVID-19 than last week, with 22 reported. The health department also reported six additional deaths suspected to be due to the disease.
The confirmed COVID-19 deaths included five men older than 80, two men in their 70s, three men in their 60s, three men in their 50s, a man in his 40s, four women older than 80, a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 50s and a woman in her 30s. The suspected deaths were two men older than 80, a man in his 70s, two women older than 80 and a woman in her 70s.
The additional deaths bring Clark County’s COVID-19 death total to 667, including 610 confirmed and 57 suspected to be due to the disease.
The number of COVID-19 patients occupying hospital beds in Clark County saw an increase while patients in intensive care units (ICU) saw a drop as of the health department’s update. As of Jan. 27, 23.3% of beds had either patients with confirmed COVID-19 or patients awaiting test results, up from 20.8% last week. COVID-19 patients occupied 32.7% of ICU beds in the county, down from 33.9% the week prior.
New COVID-19 hospital admissions saw a decline as Clark County Public Health reported 16.7 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, down from 19.2 per 100,000 the week prior.
Total hospital bed occupancy saw a marginal increase while patients in the ICU saw a drop in Clark County on Jan. 27. The health department reported 97.7% of hospital beds and 96.4% of ICU beds were occupied in the county, compared to 97.4% and 98.2%, respectively on Jan. 20.
Clark County’s share of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths statewide stayed about the same as of Jan. 27. The Washington State Department of Health reported the county had about 5.7% of confirmed cases and 6.3% of deaths in the state.
