COVID positivity rate up slightly after low
New variant may be less susceptible to antibodies
The seven-day average of the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests continues to increase — reaching 2.6% Friday.
This is a continued trend starting on March 12 when the positivity rate sat at 2%, the lowest rate since March 2020.
State health officials believe Wisconsin is in a good place but caution that a subtle increase in cases now could result in a major increase later.
“We’re making great progress. I’m very proud of what’s happening across the state,” said Julie Willems Van Dijk, state Department of Health Services deputy secretary. “We need to get these vaccine levels up a little higher before we risk bringing further disease into our state.”
The seven-day average of cases increased again Friday, by just seven cases.
“These are small changes, but they appear to be persistent. And we know with the more contagious variants widespread in our country and likely in our community, an increase is likely,” said Ben Weston, director of medical services at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management.
DHS reported no deaths Friday and also lowered the total death count by two.
Jennifer Miller, DHS spokeswoman, said in an email, “as individual cases are investigated by public health, there may be corrections to the status and details of cases or deaths that result in changes to this information.”
Wisconsin health officials identify one case of variant from Brazil
State health officials this week have identified one case of a COVID-19 variant that was first identified in Brazil.
Health officials warned the new variant has unique mutations that may affect the effectiveness of antibodies, generated through a previous COVID-19 infection or through a vaccination.
The variant — called P.1 — was first reported in late January by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan after four travelers from Brazil were screened at an airport outside Tokyo.
The variant has 17 unique mutations, including three in the virus’ spiked protein, according to the CDC. Earlier this month, the CDC reported 10 cases of the P.1 variant in five U.S. states: Alaska, Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Maryland. The agency has designated it a “variant of concern.”
In Wisconsin, the case of P.1 was confirmed through ongoing surveillance and whole genome sequencing, according to state Department of Health Services officials.
“DHS continues to monitor for new SARS-CoV-2 variants in collaboration with our laboratory partners,” Chief Medical Officer Ryan Westergaard said in a statement. “Because these new variants of concern may spread more easily than the original strain of SARSCoV-2, it is important to get vaccinated when you are able. Vaccines, along with our other public health practices, give the virus less of an opportunity to spread and mutate.”
As of Friday, health officials have identified 78 cases of a variant of COVID-19 that was first identified in the U.K. known as B.1.1.7 and two cases of a variant first identified in South Africa known as B.1.351.
Latest COVID-19 numbers
New cases reported: 434
New deaths reported: 0 Number hospitalized: 226 (intensive care: 57); down 78 patients from one month ago
Seven-day average of daily cases: 466 (down 149 cases from one month ago)
Seven-day average of daily deaths: 5 (down 14 from one month ago)
Seven-day average positivity rate — as a share of all tests given: 2.6%
Total cases since the start of pandemic: 574,870 (6,721 active cases)
Total deaths: 6,597
Latest vaccine numbers
Total doses administered:
2,516,716
Wisconsin residents with at least one dose: 1,634,977 (28.1% of the population)
Residents with both doses: 948,765 (16.3% of the population)
Residents 65 and older with at least one dose: 754,629 (74.2% of 65+ population)