The full COVID-19 report for Jan. 24-30 appears below.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — COVID-19 case numbers are declining steadily and the number of people hospitalized has dropped dramatically since last week, according to reports released Wednesday.
In Clark County, hospitalizations dropped from 226 patients to 128 as of Monday. That’s the lowest count since Nov. 1, and comes alongside news that Nevada hospitalizations related to flu (less than 15) and RSV (less than 30) have also dropped, according to the Nevada Hospital Association. The statewide count for COVID-19 patients dropped to 161, according to data from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
The Kraken variant (COVID-19 XBB.1.5) was briefly the dominant strain in Clark County, but has dropped to 30.8% of the cases sequenced in Southern Nevada. Last week, it was at nearly 45%. The dominant strain is now BQ.1.1 (45.5% of cases sequenced), which has been in Clark County since November.
Cases involving the Kraken variant have dropped to where they were about two weeks ago.
The Kraken variant is unusually contagious, according to recent reports, but might be no more dangerous than variants that have already run their course. Vaccines that are already available should help.
The current batch of variants appear to be causing fewer serious illnesses, but patients with underlying conditions should remain cautious about exposure. It’s likely that the drop in COVID-19 cases has to do with fewer people being tested because symptoms aren’t severe. Results of at-home tests are not counted in figures from the county and the state.
The 14-day moving average (per 100,000 population) shows cases declining by 10.5% in Clark County compared to last week, and 6.8% statewide.
An adjustment in data from the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) reduced the number of deaths linked to COVID-19. The cumulative total of deaths dropped by nine, from 9,284 down to 9,275. The adjustment also caused the statewide count to drop, now at 11,867.
“This week’s aggregate includes a decrease in reports of COVID-19 deaths after a review of the data and removal of out-of-jurisdiction cases. The majority of these cases occurred between 2020 and 2021,” according to SNHD. Deaths that “belonged” to other jurisdictions were taken off of SNHD’s count.
Updated information on wastewater surveillance showed no significant increase in the presence of the virus around the Las Vegas valley. Three monitoring stations — Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and one of three stations in Henderson — showed slight increases. Other stations reported lower levels of COVID-19 genetic material in sewer samples.
Wastewater surveillance can give an early warning when the levels of DNA in sewer samples rise as people shed the virus before they even get sick.
For the second straight week, hospitals are operating without an overload of cases due to RSV, flu and COVID-19, according to the NHA’s weekly report. Six hospitals around the state are still experiencing severe problems with staffing, NHA said. Those hospitals were not identified, but include facilities in Northern Nevada and in rural counties as well as in Southern Nevada.
Overall, hospitals are 72% full across the state, with 9% of emergency room visits due to COVID-19 symptoms.
If you have symptoms, get tested and avoid spreading the virus to others. If you haven’t been vaccinated, go to the Southern Nevada Health District’s website for information on getting a shot, or updating your immunity by getting a booster.
CLARK COUNTY
- New daily confirmed cases (14-day moving average, per 100,000 population) 93 — down from 104 the previous week. (-10.5%)
- Total cases: 617,745*
- Deaths: -9** since last week (total: 9,275)
- Hospitalizations: 128 (down 98 from the previous week)
*-A difference in case counts exists between SNHD and the state. By SNHD’s current count, Clark County has had 597,751 cases as of this week.
**-“This week’s aggregate includes a decrease in reports of COVID-19 deaths after a review of the data and removal of out-of-jurisdiction cases. The majority of these cases occurred between 2020 and 2021,” according to an SNHD statement.
NEVADA
- New daily confirmed cases (14-day moving average, per 100,000 population) 123 — down from 132 the previous week. (-6.8%)
- Total cases: 815,376
- Deaths: -8* since last week (total: 11,867)
- Hospitalizations: 161 down 87 from the previous week)
*-Statewide count declined due to an adjustment in SNHD records.
The county’s COVID-19 community level has been at “low” since Thursday, Jan. 5. The county had been at “medium” since Thursday, Dec. 1, after staying at “low” since Aug. 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.