The number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations is beginning to rise in most states, following increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases driven by the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant. Nationally, hospitalization rates remain low overall, nowhere near the previous pandemic peaks. But the increases in hospitalizations are high and rising in parts of the country that have low vaccination rates, including Florida, Nevada, Arkansas, and Missouri. Some Florida hospitals are seeing the highest number of COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic, and the pace of this surge is accelerating rapidly. An estimated 97% of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. Patients also are skewing younger, with 69% under the age of 65, according to CDC data as of July 17. Some hospitals are scrambling to find space for intensive care patients, trying to address personnel shortages, and attempting to maintain adequate supplies of medical equipment such as ventilators.
According to new projections released last week by the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub—a consortium of researchers working with the CDC to track the pandemic—the current US surge will continue throughout the summer and into the fall. In the most likely of 4 scenarios, there would be around 60,000 new cases and about 850 deaths per day, with 70% of eligible Americans vaccinated. Currently, the US is averaging around 42,000 new cases per day and about 250 deaths per day. Nationwide, 57.5% of eligible people are fully vaccinated. The researchers encouraged state and local leaders to take note of the projections, urging them to reimplement mask mandates and physical distancing requirements that could help lessen the surge’s impact.
In the US, more than 4.1 million children have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and nearly 500 have died. In the week ending July 22, children accounted for 16.8% of reported weekly COVID-19 cases nationwide. According to researchers, between 2% and 10% of recovered children have long-term symptoms. NIH is supporting a $40 million study to understand the range of SARS-CoV-2 effects on children. Little is known about why some children experience long-term symptoms following COVID-19 recovery, just as long COVID-19 is not well understood in adults. It is hoped that these controlled clinical trials will provide more answers about how these conditions can be more effectively treated and, possibly, prevented.
CSSE is reporting 34,615,290 positive cases in the U.S. and 611,357 deat
