PIERRE, S.D. – Hospitalizations and active cases hit another new high Wednesday as the state began adding probable cases to their daily COVID-19 reports.
During their weekly presser today, state health officials reported 609 new cases – among them, 562 confirmed and 47 probable. State epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton explains probable cases.
“Those probable cases are due primary due to the addition of Antigen tests, to the R.T.P.C.R. tests that we have used kind of as the standard for detection for COVID-19. With the addition of those Antigen tests as probable cases and with the increasing popularity of those Antigen tests due to cost per test, and the readily number available of them, we are now including them in our daily updates.”
Dr. Clayton says an Antigen test uses a sample from the front of the nose unlike the more conventional R.T.P.C.R. test that takes a sample much deeper from the nasal cavity.
As for hospitalizations, the state saw a new high today of 273 and although state health officials say COVID-19 cases account for only 11-percent of regular hospital beds and 18-percent of I.C.U. beds, there are reports of South Dakota hospitals being on diversion status. Health Secretary Kim Malsom-Rysdon was asked about that today.
“The reason we will see diversions is due to a lot of different factors and I think it’s important that people get the full story as to why you might see those. So, we’ll see diversions happen at various times of the year and around the state just due to more activity in that particular part of the state or more need for a certain kind of beds. We’ll see more diversions in situations when there is more need for a different type of care, whether that be I.C.U. to psychiatric or other specialized care.”
The state’s death toll also spiked today, with 10 new deaths reported. The deaths included 2 in Pennington and 1 from Meade County. Pennington’s death toll climbs to 39 and Meade County’s COVID-19 related deaths reached 6. Other deaths were reported in Beadle, Codington, Lake, Lincoln, Turner and Union.
As for new cases around the Black Hills area today, Pennington County added 197, sending the cumulative total to 2,864 with 527 remaining active.
Lawrence County added 26 new cases today and Meade County had 21 new cases. Lawrence County has 106 active cases and Meade County has 125 active.
Butte County added 8 new cases Wednesday, Oglala Lakota had 9, Fall River added 7 and Custer County added 4.
Across all West River South Dakota, there were 329 new cases, including 18 in Todd, 7 each in Lyman and Dewey, 6 in Corson, 4 each in Tripp and Bennett, 3 each in Perkins and Jackson, 2 in Haakon and one each in Jones, Gregory and Mellette counties.
