U.S. Covid Hospitalizations Surge as August Ends
As summer draws to a close in the United States, there’s been a notable spike in positive Covid cases. However, what’s even more concerning is the sharp rise in hospitalizations and deaths linked to the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the last week of August, 17,418 patients were hospitalized after testing positive for coronavirus. This represents a 15.7% increase in just one week, and deaths from the virus rose by 17.6% during the same period.
Despite this surge, the numbers are significantly lower compared to previous years. At the end of 2021, there were 97,820 Covid hospitalizations, and in 2022, 35,571.
CDC data also shows that Covid-19 hospitalizations have either increased or remained stable in 47 states. In 26 of them, the rise has been substantial.
Rise in Covid Hospitalizations and Deaths in the U.S.
Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert from the University of California, suggests that after this spike, we’re likely to see a decline, followed by another surge towards the end of fall and the beginning of winter. “This has been the trend for the past 3 years,” he commented to The Hill.
The recent surge has reignited debates across the U.S. about mask-wearing, vaccination, school attendance, and returning to in-person work.
Mandy Cohen, the director of the CDC, stated, “We are more prepared than ever.” Cohen highlighted the broader immunity in the population, either from vaccination or previous infection. However, she cautioned about the need for vigilance as immunity can wane over time.
Since the pandemic’s onset in the U.S. in 2020, approximately 6.3 million people have been hospitalized due to Covid-19, over 1.13 million have died, and 153.8 million vaccine doses have been administered.
Although the disease’s treatment has improved, the virus continues to mutate. Cohen emphasized the importance of staying one step ahead of the virus, especially in the face of new variants.
With information from TheHill
