May 11, 2022: COVID Weekly Data Update

Omicron Variant BA.2.12.1

The Omicron BA.2.12.1 variant is a subvariant of the Omicron BA.2 and is more contagious than the BA.2.  In the USA, the Omicron BA.2 is still the main variant (56% of cases), but the Omicron BA.2.12.1 variant is increasing rapidly and, as of the first week of May, represents 43% of the COVID cases (see below).  Within Region 8 (includes South Dakota), the Omicron BA.2 represents 63% of the cases, and the Omicron BA.2.12.1 variant, which is also increasing in this region, represents only 36% of the cases. 

Source: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions

Vaccination Rankings

Boosters protect against the Omicron variants and will minimize the risk of hospitalization and death.

Weekly Update:

2022_5_11-covid-dataDownload

Some counties are seeing an uptick in the number of new cases per week.  The number of new cases per 100,000 population since the end of March is shown below for the ten counties with the most populated cities (slide #7 in attached pdf).

Brookings County (low community level based on CDC and high based on SDDOH [% test positivity = 12%])

• 8,149 total cases:  16 new cases this week vs. 15 in the previous week.  Of the new cases this past week:
  • 25% were under 20 years of age (vs. 27% in previous week)
  • 25% were 20-39 years (vs. 27% in previous week)
  • 31% were 40-59 years (vs. 20% in previous week)
  • 19% were 60 years or older (vs. 27% in previous week)
• 222 Brookings County residents have been hospitalized with COVID: 0 new hospitalizations posted this past week compared to 0 in the previous week. Currently, the percentage of staffed beds that are COVID-occupied in the Sioux Empire region is 2.5%.
• 52 Brookings County residents have died of COVID: 0 deaths were reported this past week compared to 0 deaths in the previous week.
• 54% of Brookings County residents have received the full vaccine series, and 26% have received a booster or third shot. 

South Dakota (low community level based on CDC definition)

• 238,635 cases: 450 new cases this week vs. 373 in the previous week.  Of the new cases this past week:
  • 16% were under 20 years of age (vs. 14% in previous week)
  • 26% were 20-39 years (vs. 29% in previous week)
  • 28% were 40-59 years (vs. 24% in previous week)
  • 30% were 60 years or older (vs. 33% in previous week)
• 10,781 South Dakota residents have been admitted to in-state hospitals with COVID: 17 were admitted to in-state hospitals this week vs. 18 last week.  Of the new hospital admissions this past week:
  • 12% were under 20 years of age (vs. 11% in previous week)
  • 23% were 20-39 years (vs. 17% in previous week)
  • 12% were 40-59 years (vs. 5% in previous week)
  • 53% were 60 years or older (vs. 67% in previous week)
• 33 people currently hospitalized vs. 25 hospitalized last Wednesday (5 currently in the ICU vs. 3 last week). Currently, the percentage of staffed beds statewide that are COVID-occupied is 1.4%.
• 2,915 South Dakotans have died from COVID:  2 deaths were reported this week vs. 3 in the previous week.  Of those who died this past week:  all were 60 years of age & older.
• 54% of South Dakota residents have received the full vaccine series, and 25% have received a booster or third shot. 

USA

• 83.77 million cases:  538,659 new cases this week vs. 450,385 in the previous week
• 1,025,104 total deaths:  3,523 deaths this week vs. 2,573 in the previous week

Worldwide

• 518.3 million cases: 3.7 million cases this week vs. 3.8 million in the previous week
• 6.28 million deaths: 14,448 deaths this week vs. 16,999 in the previous week 

Be kind to each other – and yourself.