Could your state be one of them?
Covid-19 hospitalizations are on the rise once again, with six states accounting for more than half of those cases. Here’s what you need to know.
Where is Covid-19 spiking right now?
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois account for about 60 percent of added hospital beds filled between Nov. 10 and Dec. 5, according to an analysis of Health & Human Services data. Michigan had the highest share of hospitalizations for its population at 70 percent, followed by Ohio and Pennsylvania.
But this increase didn’t come out of nowhere: the U.S. began seeing an increase in hospitalizations in early November, rising from about 45,000 to 58,000 per day. To put this into perspective, the U.S. has only crossed the 50,000-per-day mark five times over the course of the pandemic.
What’s behind this uptick?
Overall, unvaccinated people appear to be driving the majority of these hospitalizations. For instance, three out of four hospitalized patients in Michigan are unvaccinated, and 87 percent of these patients are in the intensive care unit.
Ohio, in particular, is seeing an alarming number of severe cases among young people. Residents between the ages of 23 and 49 are getting sick at a rate that’s 25 percent higher than the statewide average.
What’s being done?
In light of these surges, some local officials are taking action. Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that hospitals with less than 10 percent capacity must stop doing surgeries that are deemed non-essential until Jan. 15, 2022.
The Biden administration announced plans to administer more vaccine shots, expand at-home testing options, impose travel restrictions, and secure treatment pills to help prevent hospitalizations.
What steps can you take?
Health officials agree that the most important thing you can do right now is to get fully vaccinated and get your booster shot if you haven’t already, especially amid concerns about the new Omicron variant. Pfizer-BioNTech has already found that their booster provides strong protection against it, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to release their findings in the coming days.
