CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) reported 218 new laboratory confirmed and 79 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state during its 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 28 update.
The WDH also reported one additional confirmed omicron variant case on Tuesday. Six total confirmed omicron variant cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Wyoming.
There have been 114,917 total confirmed and probable cases in Wyoming since the pandemic began. Here is a report of updates that were provided by the WDH as of 3 p.m. Tuesday:
- Cases:
- There have now been 90,997 confirmed cases in Wyoming since the pandemic began. The 79 new probable cases reported Tuesday brought the pandemic total to 23,920.
- There are 980 active confirmed cases in Wyoming, 145 more than were reported on Monday.
- Wyoming has been adding 82.7 new confirmed cases per day over the last 14 days.
- Six new lab confirmed cases were reported in Natrona County on Tuesday, bringing the pandemic total to 10,407. 19 new probable cases were reported, bringing the pandemic total to 6,315.
- There have been 1,526 COVID-19-related deaths among Wyoming residents since the pandemic began. These are deaths “that have COVID-19 listed as either the underlying or primary cause of death or as a contributing cause of death,” the WDH explains.
- Hospitalizations:
- Some hospitalization data reported by the WDH as of Monday, December 27 is as follows (Tuesday update not provided as of 3 p.m.):
- Wyoming COVID-19 hospitalizations fell to 65 on Monday, December 27. That was the lowest number of COVID-19 patients in Wyoming hospitals since July 31, 2021, according to the WDH. Hospitalizations are down from the pandemic peak of 249 reported on October 21, 2021.
- There were 22 COVID-19 patients at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and 15 at the Wyoming Medical Center on Monday.
- There were 7 of 20 available intensive care unit beds open at the Wyoming Medical Center on Monday. 13 of 25 ICU beds were open at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
- Some hospitalization data reported by the WDH as of Monday, December 27 is as follows (Tuesday update not provided as of 3 p.m.):
- Recoveries:
- There have been 88,836 recoveries from lab confirmed cases as well as 23,3614 recoveries from probable cases reported in Wyoming.
- “A lab confirmed or probable case is defined as recovered when there is resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and there is improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath) for 24 hours AND at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared,” the WDH says. “Cases with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who have not had any symptoms are considered recovered when at least 10 days have passed since the date of their first positive test and have had no subsequent illness provided they remain asymptomatic.”
- The WDH marks people as recovered once their isolation order date has expired. People who test positive are asked to remain in isolation until 10 days after their first symptoms, 10 days after their test was taken, or longer if they are still showing symptoms.
- If people need to be isolated longer than their initial isolation period, they can contact the WDH, who can extend their isolation order. In some cases, contact tracing informs whether a case is considered recovered while in others, the department counts someone as recovered after their isolation period ends.
- There have been 88,836 recoveries from lab confirmed cases as well as 23,3614 recoveries from probable cases reported in Wyoming.
- Variants:
- The number of COVID-19 cases identified as variant cases stands at 8,228.
- Variant cases involve a mutated form of the virus and some may spread more easily or result in more serious illness.
- Six cases involving the omicron variant of the virus have been detected in Wyoming, according to the WDH. The WDH confirmed the detection of the state’s first case of COVID-19 involving the omicron variant on Friday, December 17. While omicron may just be arriving in Wyoming, the variant has become the most dominant strain of the virus in the United States, accounting for 73% of new infections in the last week, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
- County-specific COVID-19 information is available from the Wyoming Department of Health. Confirmed cases by county are as follows (probable cases in parentheses):
- Albany: 5,947 (1,011)
- Big Horn: 1,747 (435)
- Campbell: 8,568 (957)
- Carbon: 2,919 (385)
- Converse: 923 (1,445)
- Crook: 785 (235)
- Fremont: 8,177 (1,486)
- Goshen: 2,413 (292)
- Hot Springs: 662 (236)
- Johnson: 951 (437)
- Laramie: 13,869 (4,540)
- Lincoln: 2,477 (570)
- Natrona: 10,401 (6,296)
- Niobrara: 247 (255)
- Park: 4,946 (702)
- Platte: 1,102 (475)
- Sheridan: 4,552 (1,414)
- Sublette: 1,149 (374)
- Sweetwater: 7,517 (763)
- Teton: 5,574 (131)
- Uinta: 3,593 (548)
- Washakie: 1,318 (553)
- Weston: 942 (305)
