GREAT FALLS — Four new deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported in Cascade County on Tuesday evening, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to 14 since the pandemic began earlier this year.
The City-County Health Department in Great Falls says the four people were two women in their 70s, one man in his 70s, and one man in his 80s.
The CCHD also released some information about the 54 new COVID cases reported in Cascade County since Saturday:
- Tuesday - 24 cases: (2) female 20-29; (3) female 30-39; (2) male 30-39 (3) female 40-49; (2) male 40-49; (2) female 50-59: (3) male 50-59; (1) female 60-69; (3) male 60-69; (3) male 70-79
- Monday - 1 case: (1) male 60-69
- Sunday: No new cases
- Saturday - 28 cases: (1) female 0-9; (3) female 10-19; (1) male 10-19; (2) female 20-29; (2) male 20-29; (2) female 30-39; (2) male 30-39; (2) male 40-49; (1) female 50-59; (3) male 50-59; (1) female 60-69; (4) male 60-69; (2) female 70-79; (1) male 70-79; (1) male 80-89
The CCHD said in a news release: "Please, for the sake of all the older and vulnerable people in our Cascade County community, exercise caution and compassion by taking the prevention measures recommended by CCHD. Stay home when sick, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, isolate or quarantine as directed, wear a mask in indoor public spaces, and social distance with people outside your household."
The CCHD announced two deaths last week: a man in his 40s, and a woman in her 80s.
(TUESDAY MORNING) There were 530 new cases and five new deaths added to the total on the Montana COVID-19 tracking site on Tuesday morning. The data below is from the official Montana website on October 13:
- TOTAL CASES & RECOVERIES: There have been 19,611 cumulative cases statewide, with 11,620 people recovered.
- HOSPITALIZATIONS: There are 294 current hospitalizations, and a cumulative total of 911 hospitalizations.
- DEATHS: The cumulative number of deaths in Montana is at 217.
- ACTIVE CASES: The state reports there are currently 7,774 active COVID-19 cases in Montana.
- TESTING: There were 9,193 completed tests, for a new cumulative state-wide total of 409,651.
Based on additional data from county public health departments, MTN News is reporting the following data:
- TOTAL CASES: 19,888 ( +277 from state)
- ACTIVE CASES: 7,028 (-746 from state)
- RECOVERIES: 12,637 (+1,017 from state)
- DEATHS: 223 (+6 from state)
Numbers reported by the state each day occasionally differ from those reported by county public health departments due to periodic lag times in reporting data to the state. We encourage people to check the official website and/or Facebook page of their respective county health department for any information that is not yet included in the state's daily updates.
- MT releases first hospital capacity report
- What constitutes a recovery? Click here for details
- Why are cases increasing? Click here for details
- CCHD addresses spike in COVID-19 cases
- Privacy laws and HIPAA: Click here for details
It's important to note that not every person who tests positive actually becomes ill or exhibits symptoms. Many do not; of those who do become sick, some experience mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. Others, however, do require hospitalization, as noted in the daily update on the number of people hospitalized. However, every person who does test positive for COVID-19 has the potential to spread the virus to other people, including family members and friends, which is why public health officials continue to encourage everyone to wear a mask and maintain at least the recommended six feet of "social distance" when in public.
CDC: The federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) released data in August which emphasizes that people with contributing or underlying medical conditions are at much greater risk of dying from COVID-19. The CDC report states: "For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death." The report states that the most common underlying medical conditions that contributed to COVID-related deaths include respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, and COPD; diabetes; hyptertensive diseases; and heart disease. Click here to learn more on the CDC website.
The CDC also recently released an update to their research into fatality rates associated with COVID-19. A summary of COVID-19 survival rates is shown below; the summary is one of five based on several scenarios. The CDC data and scenarios can be found here.
COVID-19 Survival Rates
- Age 0-19: 99.997%
- Age 20-49: 99.98%
- Age 50-69: 99.5%
- Age 70+: 94.6%
The CDC says the scenarios are intended to advance public health preparedness and planning, and are not predictions or estimates of the expected impact of COVID-19. The parameter values in each scenario will be updated and augmented over time, as the agency learns more about the epidemiology of COVID-19. The update from September 10th is based on data received by the CDC through August 8.