MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Wisconsinites who are not fully vaccinated are about three times as likely to get COVID-19, four times as likely to go to the hospital and 11 times as likely to die of the disease. That’s according to new data released Thursday by the state Department of Health Services.
“The increase in cases we are seeing in Wisconsin right now is being largely driven by the delta variant, and the overwhelming majority of people who are contracting COVID have not been fully vaccinated,” DHS secretary Karen Timberlake said in a news release. “With the original strain of COVID-19, an infected person was likely to infect two other people, who were then likely to infect two additional people for a total of six cases from one infection.”
“With the delta variant, an infected person is likely to infect about five people, who are then likely to infect 25 people for a total of 30 cases from one infection. The COVID-19 vaccines are still doing their job by stopping the spread of many new infections, and by preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death.”
The new dashboard shows positive tests and hospitalizations among both vaccinated and unvaccinated people were at their lowest points in June, before the delta variant became the dominant strain of the virus. Cases and hospitalizations among both groups rose in July.
Meanwhile, DHS updated its website to align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on level of transmission by county. The CDC recommends people wear masks in indoor and crowded outdoor places wherever the transmission is in the “high” or “substantial” category.
DHS also added an option to narrow down a date range for its report of total new cases and seven-day average.
DHS has called a news conference for noon to discuss the new data.
