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Colorado coronavirus latest numbers, Aug. 17

The number of people currently hospitalized is 163, and the state's three-day moving, average positivity rate is 2.18%.

COLORADO, USA — There are 163 patients hospitalized in Colorado as of Aug. 17, and the three-day moving, average positivity rate stands at 2.18% as of Aug. 16, according to the latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Editor's Note: CDPHE said it is aware hospitalization data was not reported on Aug. 16, and is investigating.

Positivity is an important indicator of the status of COVID-19 in the state. The World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2020 recommended that the positivity rate be at 5% to contain the virus.

Video above: Tips on keeping elementary school students safe as they return to school 

Current hospitalization data is also a key metric because it can be an indicator of whether Colorado’s hospital system is being overwhelmed by the virus. In April, hospitalizations peaked at 888 in one day, indicating the state is on a safer track now to ensure medical centers aren't overwhelmed.

In addition, there have been 1,896 deaths among those who tested positive for COVID-19, the same as the day prior.

Data is released each day at 4 p.m. Numbers will be updated each day at that time.

A breakdown of this data and links to related stories can be found below.

What to know right now, as of August 17: 

  • 53,370 cumulative cases, up from 53,176 the day prior.
  • 6,739 cumulative hospitalizations, up from 6,735 the day prior.
  • 1,896 deaths among those who tested positive for COVID-19, the same as the day prior.
  • 1,778 deaths due to COVID-19, up from 1,768 deaths the day prior.
  • Get the latest data from CDPHE.
  • Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order mandating face masks or coverings for anyone in indoor places in public. The order went into effect July 17 and was extended Friday for another 30 days.
  • Polis ordered bars and nightclubs closed again to in-person service, after two weeks of slight upticks in cases, on June 30.

> Updates from Aug. 16 can be found here.

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RELATED: Gov. Polis extends statewide mask mandate through Sept. 13

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Coronavirus data breakdown

In Colorado as of Aug. 17, CDPHE reports 53,370 people have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. That's up from 53,176 the day prior.

The graphic below shows case growth, which comes from subtracting the total number of cases from the previous day. A moving average helps capture a trend over a period of time. This removes some noise from the day-to-day numbers. The line on the graph is the seven-day moving average of case growth.

Positivity

Positivity is the number of tests that come back with a COVID-19 result. Above 10% could be an indicator that not enough testing is being done and that only people likely to have COVID are getting tested. The World Health Organization recommended in May 2020 that the positivity rate should be even lower, at 5%, to contain the virus.

Fatalities

CDPHE reports:

  • 1,896 deaths among people with COVID-19
  • 1,778 deaths due to COVID-19

The majority of deaths — 53% — are among people over age 80; 24% of deaths occurred in people between ages 70-79, and 13% were in people ages 60-69.

The graph below shows the total number of people in Colorado who have died after a COVID-19 diagnosis, since the first death happened on March 13.

On May 15, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shifted to a death documentation difference that divided into "deaths among cases" and "deaths due to COVID-19." Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist at CDPHE, said on May 18 that deaths in the "among" category are from those that tested positive for COVID-19 either before or after death. This is done by medical workers on the front line. Deaths in the "due to" category lag and stem from death certificates that the Centers for Disease Control codes and then sends to CDPHE. On the CDPHE website, it explains the two categories should not be on the same timeline because of reporting differences. 

Hospitalizations

Of those who tested positive for the disease, a total of 6,739 cumulative hospitalizations have been reported.

As of 12:17 p.m. on Aug. 17, 163 patients were hospitalized with the disease, according to the most recent data from the Colorado Hospital Association. Within the last 24 hours, 23 patients had been transferred or discharged.

(Note: 78% of facilities reported data on Aug. 17.)

(Note: CDPHE said it is aware hospitalization data was not reported on Aug. 16, and is investigating.)

The graph below shows the number of people currently hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis and the number of people who have been discharged within 24 hours. This is a key metric because it can be an indicator of whether or not Colorado’s hospital system is being overwhelmed by the virus.

Testing

According to CDPHE, 636,081 people have been tested, up from 631,008  the day prior, and 63 counties are reporting cases.

This graph shows the total number of tests processed each day.

Note: Due to a server issue, the number reported on July 26 is artificially low and the number reported on July 27 is artificially high.

There may be a lull or spike in reported case data due to how it's reported. CDPHE data changes as labs, hospitals, facilities and local agencies report their own data. For example, a spike in the number of deaths does not necessarily mean that many more people died within 24 hours, but rather is indicative of when the data is entered into the system. New data is released daily at 4 p.m.

In addition, CDPHE on May 15 changed the way it was reporting data in two ways:

  • The number of deaths among people with COVID-19. This represents the total number of deaths reported among people who have COVID-19, but COVID-19 may not have been the cause of death listed on the death certificate. This information is required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is crucial for public health surveillance, as it provides more information about disease transmission and can help identify risk factors among all deaths across populations.
  • The number of deaths among people who died from COVID-19: This represents the total number of people whose death was attributed to COVID-19 as indicated on a death certificate. This number is determined by the CDC and is updated daily for dates through the previous Saturday.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most patients develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.

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