In the midst of the holiday season, the United States is grappling with a concerning surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the latest figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data reveals a consistent upward trend over the past five weeks, with hospitalizations surpassing the late summer peak.
As of the week ending December 9, the U.S. reported over 23,400 new hospitalizations due to COVID-19 – a rise of approximately 3% from the previous week and marking the fifth consecutive weekly increase. This figure exceeds the late summer peak of about 20,700 weekly hospitalizations.
Analyzing the data relative to population, the CDC notes 7.1 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people for the same week. Nine states fall into the CDC's category of "medium" level hospitalizations, while the rest are classified as having a "low" level.
Wyoming stands out with the highest percentage increase in its rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations compared to the previous week, witnessing a surge of 36.2%. Conversely, New Mexico experienced the most significant decrease among states, with a decline of 28%.
Examining emergency department visits, the data indicates that 2% of visits nationally involved a COVID-19 diagnosis. This represents a 2.7% decrease from the week before. Iowa, West Virginia, and Indiana reported the highest rates among U.S. states, signaling ongoing challenges.
At the county level, 164 areas, including the District of Columbia, Guam, and municipios in Puerto Rico, were classified by the CDC as having a "high" level of new COVID-19 hospital admissions, with rates exceeding 20 per 100,000 people. Nebraska's Richardson and Pawnee counties reported the highest rate at 66.8 per 100,000 people. An additional 764 counties were identified as having a "medium" level of COVID-19 hospital admissions, with rates ranging between 10.0 and 19.9 per 100,000 people.
It's crucial to note that the CDC's county hospital admission figures are calculated at the Health Service Area level, which may span multiple counties. Some areas may also be flagged as having insufficient data.
As the nation navigates this surge, heightened vigilance and preventive measures become imperative, reinforcing the urgency of vaccination efforts and public health initiatives during the holiday season.