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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Have COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths tended to be lower in Wisconsin than in Michigan since the pandemic began?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

Wisconsin has recorded fewer deaths and hospitalizations relative to population that neighboring Michigan during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the onset of the disease, Wisconsin has experienced fewer COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 residents than Michigan—127 compared to 182—despite a greater number of reported cases per 100,000 residents. Between March 2020 and March 2021, Michigan consistently reported more hospitalizations per million residents than Wisconsin, except for two months in the fall.

Michigan has experienced a renewed surge in infections in recent weeks, leading to the worst current outbreak in the U.S. by most measures. In the week ending April 23, the state reported the third-highest amount of deaths per 100,000 residents of any state. As of April 19, Wisconsin reported 62 hospitalizations per million residents, compared with 423 per million in Michigan.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Data Tracker
State of Michigan Michigan COVID-19 response data and modeling update
State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services: COVID-19 hospitalizations and hospital capacity
COVID Tracking Project Comparing hospitalized per million over time from March 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021 between Michigan and Wisconsin
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.