{"id":8679,"date":"2020-10-01T08:35:28","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/?p=8679"},"modified":"2020-10-01T08:39:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T12:39:43","slug":"indian-health-service-department-of-health-and-human-services-142","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/2020\/10\/01\/indian-health-service-department-of-health-and-human-services-142\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Health Service (Department of Health and Human Services)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"COVID-19<\/p>\n

The Indian Health Service has updated its\u00a0coronavirus data<\/a>, showing results as of September 29, 2020.<\/p>\n

According to the data, 51,900 tests\u00a0have returned positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That represents an increase of nearly 3.4 percent from the 50,219 cases previously reported<\/a> by the IHS. It’s also the highest day-to-day increase in over two months.<\/p>\n

Altogether, 848,466 coronavirus\u00a0tests have been administered through September 29, the data shows. That marks an increase of 1.7 percent from the day prior.<\/p>\n

Overall, 6.1 percent of\u00a0IHS coronavirus tests have returned positive, according to the data. But the rate is far higher in the\u00a0Phoenix Area<\/a>, where 13.8 percent are positive.<\/p>\n

Next is the\u00a0Navajo Area,<\/a>\u00a0which serves the largest reservation in the United States. But even with almost 12.9 percent of tests returning positive, the rate has fallen steadily over the last couple of months, following a noticeable decline as the region with the highest rate.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Tucson Area<\/a>, which covers southern Arizona, shows a high positive rate of 8.3 percent. It recently overtook the\u00a0Nashville Area\u00a0<\/a>as the region with the third highest rate within the IHS system. The\u00a0Portland Area<\/a>, though, also has a comparably high rate of nearly 7.7 percent<\/p>\n

Still, the high rates in the Phoenix, Navajo and Tucson regions indicate a disproportionate toll of the coronavirus among IHS patients in the state of Arizona.<\/p>\n

On the other end of the spectrum, aggressive efforts in the\u00a0Alaska Area<\/a>\u00a0are turning up very few cases. Out of 213,186 tests administered in Alaska, \u00a0a little over 1 percent have returned positive, the data shows.<\/p>\n

The data, however, is incomplete. While 100 percent of facilities run directly by the IHS are reporting data, only 33 percent\u00a0of tribally managed facilities and 44 percent\u00a0of urban Indian organizations are doing the same, the agency has told Indianz.Com.<\/p>\n

The agency also provided to Indianz.Com the\u00a0service population<\/strong>\u00a0for 2019:\u00a02,562,290.\u00a0Based on that figure, 33.1 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.<\/p>\n

The IHS\u00a0user population<\/strong>, on the other hand, is a much smaller number. As of 2019,\u00a01,662,834 American Indians and Alaska Natives have lived\u00a0within a service delivery area and have received health care at an IHS or tribal facility during the previous three years.<\/p>\n

Based on the\u00a0user population<\/strong>, 51 percent of Native Americans have been tested for the coronavirus since the IHS began reporting data in March.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 Cases by IHS Area<\/h2>\n

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 September 29, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
IHS Area<\/th>\nTested<\/th>\nPositive<\/th>\nNegative<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Alaska<\/td>\n213,186<\/td>\n2,154<\/td>\n189,598<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Albuquerque<\/td>\n43,216<\/td>\n1,874<\/td>\n\u00a033,038<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bemidji<\/td>\n53,477<\/td>\n1,847<\/td>\n49,541<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Billings<\/td>\n58,947<\/td>\n2,592<\/td>\n\u00a052,494<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
California<\/td>\n12,307<\/td>\n744<\/td>\n\u00a010,872<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Great Plains<\/td>\n70,079<\/td>\n3,378<\/td>\n65,795<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nashville<\/td>\n28,103<\/td>\n2,064<\/td>\n\u00a025,101<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Navajo<\/td>\n91,355<\/td>\n11,736<\/td>\n\u00a070,214<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oklahoma City<\/td>\n168,086<\/td>\n12,782<\/td>\n152,645<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Phoenix<\/td>\n69,474<\/td>\n9,599<\/td>\n59,020<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Portland<\/td>\n32,917<\/td>\n2,521<\/td>\n\u00a029,585<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tucson<\/td>\n7,319<\/td>\n609<\/td>\n\u00a06,602<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TOTAL<\/th>\n848,466<\/th>\n51,900<\/th>\n744,505<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<\/table>\n

Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/coronavirus<\/a>\u00a0(Indian Health Service)<\/p>\n