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Posted: May 19, 2022

ihscovid19The Indian Health Service has updated its coronavirus data, showing results through May 17, 2022.

According to the data, 465,809 tests have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Altogether, 4,380,053 coronavirus tests have been administered within the IHS, the results show.

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 of 12 IHS areas. Two of them include the state of Arizona, indicating a disproportionate toll of COVID-19 in the state:

On January 19, the Oklahoma City Area overtook the Phoenix Area as the region with the second highest percentage of cumulative percent positive tests. But the two regions still have nearly the same positivity rate as of May 17.

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 in the 12 areas of the IHS.

Overall, 11.3 percent of IHS tests have been positive since the onset of the pandemic, the data shows. Meanwhile, the 7-day positivity rate has been steadily rising in the last couple of weeks. It now stands at 8.8 percent, which is still lower than the extremely high rates seen after the 2021 Christmas holiday season.

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 twice a week — usually 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 May 17, 2022.

 
IHS Area
 
 
Tested
 
 
Positive
 
 
Negative
 
Cumulative
percent
positive
7-day rolling
average
positivity
Alaska 1,056,575 50,044 872,707 5.4% 8.0%
Albuquerque 146,603 13,651 112,302 10.8% 7.1%
Bemidji 300,057 29,343 269,710 9.8% 15.8%
Billings 152,324 13,256 134,588 9.0% 6.5%
California 176,261 19,872 148,815 11.8% 8.3%
Great Plains 248,110 25,656 220,342 10.4% 2.2%
Nashville 162,173 16,934 140,270 10.8% 13.4%
Navajo 486,521 67,752 351,485 16.2% 8.9%
Oklahoma 1,047,816 158,010 879,047 15.2% 5.8%
Phoenix 297,301 43,626 251,023 14.8% 9.7%
Portland 229,464 19,005 209,496 8.3% 10.1%
Tucson 76,848 8,660 67,918 11.3% 6.6%
TOTAL 4,380,053 465,809 3,657,703 11.3% 8.8%

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

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

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