The full COVID-19 report for Feb. 21-27 appears below.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declined over the past week in Clark County, according to data released by the state on Wednesday.
But the Kraken variant is hanging around, and it now accounts for a larger share of cases in Clark County.
Cases were down slightly, with the 14-day moving average (per 100,000 population) decreasing by 5.4% in Clark County compared to last week. Statewide, cases declined by 6.6%. Hospitalizations also declined slightly, with 125 patients in Clark County and 166 patients statewide. Information from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services shows the number of COVID-19 patients in the county hasn’t dipped below 100 since mid-October.
Hospitals have been 69% full and intensive care units have been at 73% occupancy over the past week, according to the Nevada Hospital Association (NHA). Patients with COVID-19 symptoms accounted for 9% of emergency room visits.
Hospitals in Southern Nevada continue to battle staffing issues, NHA said in its weekly report.
NHA also reminds Nevadans that the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency will bring major changes to how hospitals have been operating during the pandemic. A roadmap for those changes is available here.
In Clark County, one death was added to the total, now at 9,309 for the pandemic. Statewide, the count grew by five, now at 11,916. Deaths are often reported weeks — or even months — after they actually occur.
A look at the active strains of COVID-19 that are active in Clark County over the past 30 days shows that the “Kraken” variant — XBB.1.5 — has reached its highest level.
The Kraken variant now accounts for 73.8% of recent cases sequenced by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD). The BQ.1.1 variant has been found in 19.8% of the cases sequenced by SNHD. The number of cases analyzed went up significantly in this week’s report, with nearly three times as many cases sequenced.
For most people, the Kraken variant has caused only minor illness — if any at all — but people with underlying health conditions should be on guard. A recent commercial released by vaccine maker Pfizer emphasizes caution for people with other health problems.
Wastewater monitors show increases in levels of COVID-19 DNA in the sewers around the Las Vegas valley. The most recent reports, from Feb. 17, show that four of the six monitoring sites — including all three in Henderson — showed increased levels of virus DNA. The increases were all low to moderate. Boulder City also showed a small increase. See more detail on the UNLV webpage at https://empower.unlv.edu/.
Those measurements can give an early warning that the virus is spreading, but they don’t always translate to illnesses. People begin “shedding” COVID-19 DNA before they ever get sick.
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) 86 — down from 91 the previous week. (-5.4%)
- Total cases: 620,898*
- Deaths: 1 since last week (total: 9,309)
- Hospitalizations: 125 (down 9 from the previous week)
*-A difference in case counts exists between SNHD and the state. By SNHD’s current count, Clark County has had 599,861 cases as of this week.
NEVADA
- New daily confirmed cases (14-day moving average, per 100,000 population) 126 — down from 135 the previous week. (-6.6%).
- Total cases: 819,570
- Deaths: 5 since last week (total: 11,916)
- Hospitalizations: 166 (down 8 from the previous week)
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.
