Hopeful Signs: Midwestern States Decrease Cases of New Viruses

In states such as Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska, the number of people who test positive for COVID-19 has declined in the last two weeks. However, due to the proliferation of cases, everyone still experiences a surprising number of deaths and hospitalizations.

There is no guarantee that improving dynamics can be maintained as the winter weather, where the virus spreads more easily, drives people indoors, doctors and public health officials say.

“Vaccines are rolling out, but the big picture remains the same,” Dr. James Roller of the Global Health Security Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center told Omaha World-Herald. “Things can still turn south quite easily.”

But he and others are encouraged by the numbers. In Iowa, for example, the number of new virus cases reported daily has dropped from about 1,800 to about 1,250 in the last two weeks. In Nebraska, it went from about 1,800 to just under 1,300 per day.

“I’m crossing my fingers now,” said Dr. Stacy Marlowe, a physician in the emergency room at Unity Point Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. “The COVID patients I see are very, very ill, but they are … less.”

The number of virus deaths in Iowa continues to skyrocket from 28 two weeks ago to an average of 79 per day.

Of course, we hope that a reduction in infectious diseases will lead to a reduction in deaths, but that can take some time. Many of the people who are currently dying of COVID-19 may have been infected a few weeks ago.

The death toll has exceeded 300,000 nationwide, with more than 16 million confirmed infections. On average, about 2,400 people die each day in the United States, with more than 215,000 new deaths. According to the University of Washington’s influential model, even with vaccination, a total of 502,000 deaths could occur by April 1.

Many Nebraska residents appear to be warned to limit eating out and wear masks in public, according to Laura. He said it helps that many cities in Nebraska have recently passed mask obligations.

But he said it was important for Nebraskas to remain vigilant about maintaining social distance while waiting for the vaccine to become widely available in the spring.

In a call with the governor this week, Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said progress in the Midwestern state was offset by “deteriorating conditions” on both coasts.

According to the COVID Tracking Project, the number of people in hospitals infected with the virus has exceeded a record high of 110,000 nationwide.

In California, hospitalizations could double the peak in summer and overwhelm the system, Governor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. Bed supplies in the intensive care unit are declining as new cases average over 31,000 per day. State officials have distributed 5,000 body bags primarily to the devastated Los Angeles and San Diego areas, with 60 refrigerated trailers awaiting as morgues in anticipation of a surge in coronavirus deaths. I am.

Health officials at Orange County said they would send large tents to four hospitals to handle the number of patients.

“We have reached a record number of cases that exceeds all previous records,” said Van de Reinoso, director of public health at Santa Barbara County. “It is imperative that each individual take action now and stay at home. We are beginning to see our healthcare system go too far.”

In New York City, authorities stopped eating indoors at restaurants on Monday as the number of infected people continued to grow. State and city officials have warned that a wider shutdown may be needed if things continue to get worse.

“We can’t keep the virus growing, especially at the moment we finally get the vaccine and can turn the corner,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

This week, there were about 370 coronavirus patients in the intensive care unit in the city. This is three times that of a month ago, but only a small percentage of the more than 3,100 patients who filled the ICU in April. Throughout the state, the number of newly identified cases has increased from approximately 6,500 per day to more than 10,100 over the past two weeks.

In New Jersey, concerns are rising among authorities and healthcare providers as the number of new cases increases from about 4,000 per day to an average of 4,900 at the end of November. But the dynamics are very different from last spring’s crisis.

“People are still dying from the disease, but certainly not as many as they were at the time,” said Dr. John Bonamo, Chief Medical and Quality Officer at RWJ Barnabas Health, a leading state hospital operator.

The Associated Press writer Heather Hollingsworth of the Kansas Mission and Carla K. Johnson of Washington contributed to this report.

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