Iowa virus deaths top 8,000 and more people hospitalized

Jennifer Bredow

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa has surpassed 8,000 deaths from COVID-19 as virus infections increased and significantly more children were hospitalized with the virus.

The Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday posted 19,049 confirmed positive cases in the past week, and the state’s seven-day moving average of positive cases stood at 2,416 per day, the highest level since November 2020.

Total deaths in Iowa rose to 8,019, including 161 additional deaths that date back as far as Oct. 13.

Dr. Dan Diekema, an infectious disease specialist at University of Iowa Health Care, says the omicron variant is now Iowa’s dominant strain, comprising up to 90% of cases.

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