Additional 2,601 COVID-19 cases puts Nevada over 200,000 mark

Nevada on Saturday reported 2,601 additional known COVID-19 cases, putting the number of known infections since the pandemic began in the state over the 200,000 mark.

The state also reported 43 additional deaths due to COVID-19 as the state's totals reached 201,858 cases and 2,751 deaths.

Of the additional cases, 1,824 were in Clark County, which includes metro Las Vegas, as were 22 of the additional deaths.

Nevada hospitalizations for COVID-19 dropped Friday for the third consecutive day, but the state had a record 434 patients in intensive care.

Seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths in Nevada rose over the past two weeks while the rolling average of the positivity rate from COVID-19 testing declined, according to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project.

The rolling average of daily new cases rose from 2,302.4 on Dec. 4 to 2,563.9 on Friday while the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 25.3 to 32.7 and the positivity rate's rolling average dropped from 17.9% to 14.9%.

The number of overall infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.