Wisconsin is averaging fewer than 2 confirmed COVID-19 deaths a day as the presence of BA.2 variant increases in the U.S. – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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A few weeks into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic and metrics show both positive and negative signs.

Wisconsin has reached new lows this year in the average number of deaths reported by the state Department of Health Services. Currently, the seven-day average of confirmed daily deaths is fewer than two, the lowest average this year. The state reported 11 confirmed COVID deaths this week and another two deaths were probable.

The state averaged 46 deaths a day during the onslaught of the omicron variant peak in January. Now, new death totals provides optimism as the omicron variant wanes and new variants settles in.

The BA.2 variant has been the most dominant variant in the U.S. since mid-March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There is also an increase in the presence of other variants BA.2.12.1, BA.1.1, BA.1.1.529 in the last month.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygienehasn't provided data that shows a significant presence of the BA.2 variant in Wisconsin cases.

The state, though, isexperiencing a rise in cases and positivity rate. The seven-day average of daily cases is 895,up 563 cases from a month ago. The seven-day average of percent positive by test is 7.2%,up 4.5%.

Also, thenumber of total patients hospitalizedhas increased in recent days, but the number of people hospitalized (163 patients)is considerably lower than its peak of more than 2,250 patients in January.

Track COVID and the vaccine in Wisconsin: See the latest data on cases, deaths and administered doses

State and private labs regularly do further tests on a portion of positive COVID-19 samples to find the prevalence of different variants of the virus. The numbers below are just a fraction of the total number of variant cases.

Omicronvariant was identified in 100% of tests sequenced during the week starting March 20.

Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 orDBentley1@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.

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Wisconsin is averaging fewer than 2 confirmed COVID-19 deaths a day as the presence of BA.2 variant increases in the U.S. - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel