21 Minnesota County Listed as Medium, High COVID-19 Risk

Twenty-one Twin Cities Metro Area County, Minnesota, are considered to be at least moderately at risk for COVID-19, based on local infection and hospitalization rates.

Hennepin, Carver, Scott, Washington counties are all Listed at moderate risk In Pennington County, northwestern Minnesota, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended wearing indoor masks due to the high risk.

The latest CDC risk data is consistent with wastewater sampling across Minnesota, showing more evidence of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.St. Paul’s Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Center Report on friday The average viral load in sewage sampled over the past week has increased by 21%.

However, state leaders were hopeful because COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths did not increase at the same rate. 297 people were infected with COVID-19 in Minnesota on Thursday, but only 24 needed intensive care.

Governor Tim Walz said advances in vaccination could have reduced infection rates that could lead to serious hospitalizations and reduced mortality from COVID-19 in Minnesota to the lowest pandemic levels. He added that the number of COVID-19 was the lowest in Minnesota for the past two years.

“If this tracks itself, we should see calm here during the summer,” Waltz said Wednesday before receiving him. Second COVID-19 vaccine booster.. “In the southern states, spikes can occur as the southern states move inward during the summer months. After that, the preparations are as follows: [increased viral activity in] October. “

Not everyone was so optimistic. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research Policy, said new, more rapidly spreading variants of the coronavirus could emerge, disrupting obvious seasonal patterns.

“It’s impossible to predict what will happen,” he said.

The rapidly expanding BA.2 coronavirus subvariant accounted for 97% of the viral material found in Twin Cities wastewater samples over the past week. About one-fifth of the BA.2 viral substance contains a more rapidly spreading form called BA.2.12.1, which caused an increase in COVID-19 activity in the northeastern United States.

Wastewater sampling has been shown over time to show trends in COVID-19 more quickly. This reveals the beginning and peak of the Omicron pandemic wave this winter, about a week before the number of infections changes.

Currently, wastewater and the number of infections are in sync. Viral load in Twin Cities wastewater is increasing, but only a quarter of the peak Omicron wave. The seven-day average of new Minnesota infections rose from 374 per day to about 1,600 per day for the week until March 20, with a daily prevalence of 13,000 in mid-January. ..

Minnesota reported four more COVID-19 deaths on Friday, increasing the state’s pandemic casualties to 12,525. More than 80% of the deaths were elderly, but Friday’s report included residents of Ramsey County between the ages of 45 and 49.

Waltz advised people to protect themselves with vaccination. This has been shown in studies to reduce hospitalization and severe illness of COVID-19, even in people who are already infected. Approximately 1.5 million Minnesota have tested positive for coronavirus infection since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, but federal estimates estimate that 3.3 million people in the state have actually been infected. I am.

Minnesota reported on Friday that 3.9 million Minnesota had at least the first COVID-19 vaccination, but the latest was only 2.5 million. That is, they completed their first vaccine series and received booster immunity when recommended. An additional 250,000 Minnesotans received a second boost. It is approved by the CDC to maintain immunity in people over the age of 50, those with weakened immunity, or those who receive only the less effective Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC’s weekly risk designation is based on local infection and hospitalization rates and is primarily designed to alert the community when hospitals are at risk of being overloaded with COVID-19. The indicator shows volatility. Southeastern Olmsted and Wabasha counties were listed at high risk last week, but have been downgraded this week.

The city of Minneapolis issued an indoor public mask wearing recommendation a week ago, hoping for an increase in infections and a high-risk designation for the CDC at some point in Hennepin County. The percentage of people who wear masks all the time in Henepin has increased slightly over the past week to 39%, compared to 28% for the entire state. COVIDcast survey data..