DENVER (KDVR) – As splashy and expansive as college COVID-19 outbreaks have been, most outbreaks happen nearer to the average Coloradan – in workplaces and public areas.
Gov. Jared Polis broke down the increase in COVID-19 hospitalization rates over the last few weeks. Hospitalizations continue to affect older populations. The average age is 54, and Coloradans aged 60-69 years are a quarter of all hospital patients.
These numbers do point to a possible third coronavirus swell.
On Oct. 8, Colorado saw a 7-day average of 38 hospital admissions per day. This almost matches the 7-day average from an infection swell in July, which was the largest spike outside of the initial quarantine phase.
The University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University, among others, have produced several outbreaks that infected large numbers of students. The real caution, however, needs to be applied closer to home. Most COVID-19 outbreaks happen in garden variety locales – work places, shops, and schools.
Polis mentioned that 40% of hospital admissions happen outside the Denver metro area. While this is true, outbreaks themselves are concentrated almost entirely in the metro area or nearby along the Front Range.
Since July, ten counties accounted for the majority of coronavirus outbreaks: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Larimer, Jefferson, Pueblo, and Weld counties.
Across the summer and early fall months, each of these counties has seen outbreaks fluctuate week-by-week. In the last month, however, each of their weekly outbreak counts has either stayed level or risen.
Along with the governor and university officials, county health officials are taking note of the outbreak uptick. Yesterday, the Tri-County Health Department that represents Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties said it would impose tighter restrictions on its 1.5 million residents if COVID-19 numbers do not drop.
Data does suggest Tri-County Coloradans can prevent climbing numbers in their own lives, since most outbreaks happen in everyday locations rather than healthcare facilities or highly-concentrated clusters such as universities.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data shows most of the last month’s outbreaks stem from work places such as offices, warehouses, and construction sites. This is the single largest bracket for recent outbreaks.
Parents can also take precautions with children to prevent spread. Schools and childcare centers rank second for tri-county outbreaks, followed by restaurants, shops, and entertainment.
This pattern largely holds true for Colorado’s top ten outbreak counties. Offices and indoor workplaces produced the greatest number of outbreaks, if not the greatest number of new infections.
Half the state’s fall outbreaks have come from work places, colleges, or schools and child care centers.
