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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowBreakthrough cases of COVID-19—when a fully vaccinated person tests positive for the virus—make up a small percentage of the overall number of COVID cases in Indiana, but they aren’t extremely rare.
The Indiana State Department of Health released the latest statistics for breakthrough cases, hospitalizations and deaths on Thursday, reflecting data through Oct. 21. The numbers, which are updated weekly, showed that 56,234 Hoosiers who had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have since tested positive for the virus, while 1,184 required hospitalization and 581 died. The average age of a breakthrough death was 78 years old.
That means that about 11.3% of the 498,949 COVID-19 cases reported in Indiana so far this year have been breakthrough cases. About 7.2% of the 8,101 COVID-19 deaths reported in Indiana since Jan. 1 have been breakthrough deaths, and only about 3.8% of the 31,282 COVID-related hospitalizations have involved breakthrough cases.
According to the health department, only 1.7% of fully vaccinated Hoosiers have contracted COVID, only 0.035% have required hospitalization and only 0.017% have died.
On Friday, the state health department reported 1,940 more cases of COVID-19, down from 2,062 the previous day, bringing the cumulative total to 1,018,638.
The department also reported 17 more COVID deaths, raising the cumulative total to 16,134. The seven-day moving average of new deaths stood at 16 per day, the department said.
Statewide hospitalizations due to COVID-19 dropped from 1,324 on Wednesday to 1,297 on Thursday, the lowest number since Aug. 10. Their most recent peak was 2,687 on Sept. 13. COVID patients occupy 16% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds.
More than 3.36 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday at 5 a.m., after a daily increase of 3,483. More than 360,000 Hoosiers have already gotten vaccine boosters, after a daily increase of more than 22,000.
The health department said 59.4% of Indiana residents 18 and older are now fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 cases
*New COVID-19 cases: 1,940
Total cumulative cases: 1,018,638
COVID-19 deaths
New deaths: 17
Total cumulative deaths: 16,134
COVID-19 testing
New tested individuals: 6,453
Total cumulative tested individuals: 4,354,733
Cumulative positivity rate unique individuals: 23.4%
Cumulative positivity rate all tests: 8.5%
Seven-day positivity rate unique individuals: 15.1%**
Seven-day positivity rate all tests: 7.5%**
** The health department reports the 7-day positivity rates with a six-day lag to allow time for more comprehensive results.
COVID-19 vaccinations
Statewide totals (Dec. 14–Oct. 29)
First dose administered: 3,334,218 (daily increase of 5,029)
Fully vaccinated: 3,365,028 (daily increase of 3,483)
Booster doses: 360,488 (daily increase of 22,383)
County numbers
Marion County cumulative cases: 136,578 (increase of 155)
Marion County new deaths: 0
Marion County cumulative deaths: 2,147
Marion County 7-day positivity rate unique individuals: 12.2%
Marion County 7-day positivity rate all tests: 6.5%
Hamilton County cumulative cases: 46,771
Hendricks County cumulative cases: 24,099
Johnson County cumulative cases: 25,335
Madison County cumulative cases: 18,973
Boone County cumulative cases: 9,015
Hancock County cumulative cases: 11,836
Morgan County cumulative cases: 9,550
Shelby County cumulative cases: 7,262
Indiana intensive care unit usage
ICU beds in use by COVID-19 patients: 16%
ICU beds in use by non-COVID-19 patients: 56.4%
Available ICU beds: 27.6%
U.S. and worldwide numbers
As of Friday, from Johns Hopkins University:
U.S. cases: 45,836,469
U.S. deaths: 743,565
Global cases: 245,746,227
Global deaths: 4,985,122
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Thanks for publishing this information about the Covid numbers. And, thanks for adding in the differentials from the 10/27 numbers.
My how they like to play with statistics. This whole thing would be skewed if they counted, not since Jan. 1st but from August till now. The Delta Variant has made “breakthrough” cases far more common and a higher percentage of the cases and deaths.
I’d love to see the data you have to back that up.
Very important to note that this data is spun to imply that these deaths were DUE to Covid.
56,234 Hoosiers who had been fully vaccinated have since tested positive,
while 1,184 required hospitalization and 581 died.
Especially given the average age of breakthrough deaths (78), it is highly likely that something besides Covid was the Cause of Death for many. It is also highly likely a large number of those hospitalized had mild or asymptomatic Covid cases discovered there — vs being hospitalized FOR covid infection.
All of which makes the case for vaccination of people past middle age even more airtight.
It also makes the public policy clear: Continue to promote vaccination but otherwise STOP trying to prevent the spread of the virus! The government has done its job; vaccinated people are at virtually zero risk of dying. If stupid people choose to risk death, that’s their prerogative. There is no reason to continue to attempt the impossible task of stopping the spread.
So, stop the ridiculous mask wearing and other fearmongering. Let’s move on.
Amen!
As long as we as a society choose that those who choose not to get vaccinated have their COVID-related emergency care prioritized behind breakthrough cases and those suffering non-COVID related illnesses … I’m with you.
We are stuck in the current state because of the fear that those who won’t get vaccinated and end up needing hospitalization … with slam the health care system.
Remove that possibility and the issue is solved.
Joe B when we go down that path of to treat or not to treat then where do you draw the line. People make lots of unhealthy choices and take risks that may put them in the hospital. Do we not treat smokers with lung cancer, alcoholics with cirrhosis or obese people with heart problems? What about the person riding a motorcycle or bicycle who crashes. Should they not be taking those risks? As much as you want to say forget about helping people who are not vaccinating that’s just not how we are as people and I hope we are more compassionate. I couldn’t imagine being so heartless that if I was healthcare worker I’d say sorry, I can’t help you, but I certainly can help this person that made equally bad choices their entire life. I’ve been shocked at all the people who cheer and celebrate when they hear someone who has not been vaccinated dies.
Jeff – Joe won’t answer that question. Tried several times. I don’t think he understands how the medical community treats patients…regardless of ailment or even insurance/ability to pay.
JCB, I’ve answered repeatedly. You just don’t like the answer. Besides, we have hospitals in America who are already rationing care.
Jeff, those folks are already dying as their are no beds. I’m most enraged about scenarios like this:
“When U.S. Army veteran Daniel Wilkinson started feeling sick last week, he went to the hospital in Bellville, Texas, outside Houston. His health problem wasn’t related to COVID-19, but Wilkinson needed advanced care, and with the coronavirus filling up intensive care beds, he couldn’t get it in time to save his life.
“He loved his country,” his mother, Michelle Puget, told “CBS This Morning” lead national correspondent David Begnaud. “He served two deployments in Afghanistan, came home with a Purple Heart, and it was a gallstone that took him out.”
The unvaccinated did what the Taliban couldn’t do.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-us-hospital-icu-bed-shortage-veteran-dies-treatable-illness/
No one cheers when an unvaccinated person dies. Most shake their heads that someone made such a poor choice that cost them their life, for no good reason. There’s zero reason for vaccination or masking to be political, but some people can make a lot of money by promoting misinformation, so here we are.
And, Jeff, healthcare workers are already in that scenario. Remember this story from the summer?
“I’m admitting young, healthy people to the hospital with very serious Covid infections,” wrote Cobia in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late,” she added, referring to patients who have to be put on a ventilator.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/22/us-coronavirus-covid-unvaccinated-hospital-rates-vaccines
Thanks for publishing the numbers.
Fact hydroxychloroquine works as a treatment as does Ivermectin. Why aren’t we using it as a treatment?
Because the media saying hydroxychloroquine doesn’t work, in the beginning of COVID-19, killed thousands, that could have a better chance.
Ivermectin “Horse Pill”, works as a treatment as well. Other countries are using it with great results!!!
Natural Immunity is the real. And guess what it lasts at least a year. I am living proof.
Why don’t we test the kids for natural immunity versus “JUST TAKE THE SHOT” attitude.
I know some say we are “stupid” but do you know the long term affects???? Aren’t you worried about how it will effect your child?
From the CDC
“We don’t yet know how effective the vaccines will be against new variants that may arise.”
From Mayo Clinic
“People with vaccine breakthrough infections also may spread COVID-19 to others.”
FDA
“Ivermectin, a US Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-parasitic agent, was found to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication in vitro. A 5-day course of ivermectin was found to be safe and effective in treating adult patients with mild COVID-19.”
So tell me why I need to be vaccinated?
I’ll follow facts and not fake news.
So you’d rather get a Chinese lab-made virus than the vaccine Trump helped make, here in America?
James C. Please provide peer-reviewed publications for your ‘facts”. Hydroxychloroquine has no well designed trials showing effectiveness in humans and the basis for its in-vitro efficacy was against a cell line that are not like human cells.
The evidence you cite for ivermectin is again in-vitro (aka “test tube”) and only on replication of the virus not the treatment of the disease. The human evidence is poorly designed studies. The meta-analysis which showed some effect of ivermectin included pre-print data (not yet peer-reviewed). And the largest (and only) positive study was removed from the pre-print server due to data irregularities. The meta-analysis needs to be redone without that data, and considering the minimal effect even with that study, will most probably be negative. That ivermectin is safe and effective for mild COVID is not very helpful, since mild COVID cases by definition get better without treatment.
The reason to get vaccinated? It prevents serious illness and death. What more could you want? And there are plenty well designed, peer-reviewed studies to back that up.