Coronavirus numbers continue on a rough plateau

Kentucky Health News graph, from state data

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

With Wednesday's coronavirus metrics about the same as Tuesday's, the pandemic in Kentucky remains on a rough plateau.

The state reported 1,669 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its seven-day average down to by just four, to 1,212. Of today's cases, 25% were in Kentuckians 18 and younger. 

The percentage of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the last seven days is 5.05%, the same level that was reported Tuesday. 

Kentucky hospitals reported 762 Covid-19 patients, 14 fewer than Tuesday; 232 of them ion intensive care, down seven; and 137 Covid-19 patients in need of mechanical ventilation, up four.  

Fewer hospitals are using more than 80% of their intensive-care capacity. The daily report shows only five of the state's 10 hospital regions above that level, but four were above 90%. 

Kentucky Health News graph from state data

The state's seven-day infection rate is 22.19 daily cases per 100,000 residents. Counties with rates more than double that rate are Russell, 95.6; Green, 94; Clinton, 75.5; Adair, 71.4; Powell, 54.3; Jackson, 50.4; and Trigg, 44.9. Forty-six of the 120 counties are in the red zone, for those with more than 25 daily cases per 100,000. 

Kentucky's infection rate ranks 25th among the states, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data analyzed by The New York Times. 

The deaths of 22 more more Kentuckians were officially attributed to Covid-19, bringing the pandemic death toll to 9,856. 

Wednesday was the first day that children between the ages of 5 and 11 can get the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Evelyn Schultz of WLEX-TV tells the story of 11-year-old Wyatt who, along with his siblings, was one of the first in his age group to get it. "It didn't even hurt!," he said.