For more than two months in Iowa, the most critical COVID-19 figures — deaths and hospitalizations — have been steadily getting lower, with little interruption.
As of Friday afternoon, according to state public health data compiled by the Des Moines Bureau:
• The seven-day average of new deaths (5.4) was at its lowest since April 25. That was nine weeks ago, and just a month after the first virus-related death was recorded in Iowa. That figured peaked on May 25 at 15.0, and has been falling steadily in the three-plus weeks since.
• The seven-day average of Iowans hospitalized by the virus (193.4) was at its lowest since April 21. That figured peaked on May 11 at 407.7, and has been falling steadily in the five-plus weeks since.
• And the seven-day average of Iowans recently admitted to the hospital for virus-related symptoms (19.4) was as low as it had been since April 17, which was just one week into the state publishing that data. That figure peaked on May 5 at 41.1, and has been falling steadily in the six-plus weeks since.
How does Iowa compare nationally? Its 22 deaths per 100,000 residents is 20th in the nation, according to multiple sites that track the data nationally.
Positive case numbers also, generally, have been trending downward statewide. Certain areas have seen spikes — Buena Vista and Story counties are two recent examples, due in part to outbreaks at a meat packing plant in the former and possibly on the Iowa State University campus in the latter. But while it has been a little more sporadic along the way, the statewide, seven-day average of new cases has been falling steadily since peaking at 547.9 on May 4.
While black and Latino Iowans have been burdened with an outsized share of coronavirus cases, the share of virus-related deaths have been more in line with their populations.
Among Iowa’s population, 6% are Latino and 4% are black. And yet a whopping 27% of cases have been confirmed in the state’s Latino population, and 10% among black Iowans. Those numbers, in part, are because those populations are more likely to work hourly wage, at-risk jobs, like those in meat-packing plants, in nursing homes, and at grocery stores and other essential businesses.
However, among Iowans who have died of virus-related causes, 7% have been Latino and 5% have been black.
As of Friday, 7 of 10 Iowans who died of virus-related causes had pre-existing conditions, according to state public health data, while only 6% of Iowans who died of virus-related causes were confirmed to have no previous conditions.
For the remaining 24%, it had not yet been determined whether the individual had a previous condition.
