The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing results through February 20, 2022.

According to the data, 447,703 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of 0.4 percent from the 445,799 cases previously reported by the IHS on February 16 and an increase of about 1.3 percent higher than the 442,152 cases reported a week prior on February 13.

The comparison, though, is based on cumulative tests. Going by the 7-day rolling positivity rates, the number of cases reported by the IHS has increased 78 percent since Christmas.

The current 7-day positivity rate, meanwhile, has since fallen to about the same rate seen at the start of the new year, yet it’s still higher than levels seen over the last several months.

Altogether, 4,121,629 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS, the results show. That represents an increase of 0.3 percent from four days prior and an increase of 0.8 percent from a week prior.

Since mid-October of 2020, the IHS has been providing additional information about the spread of the coronavirus within the system. The cumulative percent positive column shows the historical COVID-19 infection rate, meaning the number of tests that have returned positive since the onset of the pandemic.

Based on the cumulative percent positive, the highest rates have been seen in five areas. Two of them include the state of Arizona, indicating a disproportionate toll of COVID-19 in the state:

• Navajo Area — 16.7 percent
• Oklahoma City Area — 16.0 percent
• Phoenix Area — 15.1 percent
• California Area — 11.8 percent
• Albuquerque Area — 11.0 percent

On January 19, the Oklahoma City Area overtook the Phoenix Area as the region with the second highest percentage of cumulative percent positive tests. The Oklahoma City Area is now effectively sharing the top spot long held by the Navajo Area, as the cumulative positive rates in the two regions are almost identical.

The 7-day rolling average positivity column offers a more contemporary look at the impact of the coronavirus. The data shows where COVID-19 cases have been increasing recently.

Based on the 7-day rolling average positivity, all 12 IHS areas are seeing high COVID-19 rates, continuing the post-Christmas holiday surge across every region of Indian Country. 

• Navajo Area — 23.1 percent
• Albuquerque Area — 22.6 percent
• Tucson Area — 21.7 percent
• Great Plains Area — 20.0 percent
• Phoenix Area — 16.8 percent
• Oklahoma City Area — 16.2 percent
• Billings Area — 14.2 percent
• California Area — 14.2 percent
• Bemidji Area — 13.7 percent
• Alaska Area — 12.4 percent
• Nashville Area — 11.9 percent
• Portland Area — 7.9 percent

Overall, 11.5 percent of IHS tests have been positive since the onset of the pandemic, the data shows. Meanwhile, the 7-day positivity rate remains higher, at 16.2 percent.

The data, however, is incomplete. While 100 percent of facilities run directly by the IHS are reporting data, only 33 percent of tribally managed facilities and 44 percent of urban Indian organizations are doing the same, the agency has told Indianz.Com.

Beginning June 7, 2021, the IHS began updating its coronavirus data on a weekly basis. But as the number of COVID-19 cases grows again, the agency is updating results on Mondays and Thursdays. Throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, results were provided by the IHS every day.

COVID-19 Cases by IHS Area

Data are reported from IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organization facilities, though reporting by tribal and urban programs is voluntary. Data reflect cases reported to the IHS through 11:59 pm on February 20, 2022.

COVID-19 testing data is updated on Mondays and Thursdays by 5 pm ET.

Source: Indian Health Service (https://www.ihs.gov/coronavirus)