PIERRE, S.D. – The state health department reported 558 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday as active cases reached 8,688 – another new high.
People hospitalized also reached a new high – up three over yesterday to 332.
Three new deaths were reported, sending the total to 333. The new deaths were reported out of Buffalo, Marshall and Miner counties.
New cases across West River totaled 196 today with 55 of those in Pennington County and 38 coming out of Oglala Lakota County.
Pennington has 3,742 total cases with 856 remaining active. Oglala Lakota County has 652 total with nearly half of those remaining active.
Lawrence County reported 17 new cases and Meade County added 16. Total cases in Meade are ay 826 and in Lawrence, total cases are 710. Active cases are 164 and 179 respectively.
Other new cases across West River include 16 in Todd, 9 each in Butte and Jackson, 5 each in Corson and Bennett, 4 each in Fall River, Harding and Gregory, 3 in Perkins, 2 each in Custer, Dewey and Tripp and one each in Stanley, Haakon, Lyman, Jones and Mellette counties.
During their weekly media briefing today, health officials discussed some current statistics with COVID-19 in the state.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton discusses some data.
“We see increasing hospitalizations and deaths with age. For older adults, 60-years and up, they make up 20-percent of cases which account for 59-percent of hospitalizations. That comparesto children and young adults under the age of 30 who make up 35-percent of cases but only 8-percent of hospitalizations.”
As for deaths, Dr. Clayton says the highest rate of deaths remains those 80 or older.
“We have not had any deaths reported in the 0-19 year age group and our highest rate of death is in the 80 and older population, where we have 12.-3 percent of all cases in that age range have died from COVID-19.”
Still, regardless of your age, Dr. Clayton says the focus must remain on slowing the spread. That includes social distancing, wearing a mask, staying home if you’re sick, washing your hands and avoiding large crowds.
