Amid what was supposed to be a respite from the pandemic, the United States has been confronted with a frightening reality after a late summer surge of COVID-19 cases hit the country. With rising infection rates, hospitals are again dealing with an alarming increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations putting enormous strain on the healthcare system.
As the situation worsens, a major health organisation has issued an urgent warning, signalling a critical crossroads in the country’s fight against the virus. In this article, we look at the causes of the revival, the impact on healthcare facilities and the steps being taken to address the situation.
Covid Hospitalisations Are Increasing As A Late Summer Wave Strikes The U.S.
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The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that Covid-19 hospitalisations in the United States have increased. According to data, hospitalisations have increased by 10%, the largest increase since December 2022. Over 7,100 Covid patients were hospitalised on July 15, up from 6,444 the previous week, while Covid-related emergency room visits also increased. Covid accounts for around 0.73% of visits as of July 21, up from 0.49% the previous month.
Dr Brendan Jackson, the CDC’s Covid incident manager in Atlanta, discussed the worrying pattern with NPR: “After roughly six, seven months of steady declines things are starting to tick back up again.”
“We’ve seen the early indicators go up for several weeks. And, for the first time in a long time, we’ve seen an increase in hospitalisations this week,” Dr Jackson stated. He stressed that this might start a late-summer storm, particularly in the South-east.
While the situation in Asia is becoming increasingly concerning due to the advent of “mutagenic” subvariants, Dr Jackson reassured Americans that “these early signs don’t need to mean much.” According to CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley, early indicators such as emergency department visits, test positive, and wastewater levels preceded the recent hospitalisation surge.
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Despite the increase in hospitalizations, overall Covid rates in the United States remain at “near-historic lows.” Conley also stated that infection-related mortality is declining and has reached its lowest level since the CDC began collecting data.
Dr Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Centre, confirmed that a summer spike is beginning. However, he expressed confidence in the protection derived from earlier infection and vaccination, noting that most infections within the Omicron family are mild and hospitalizations have only increased slightly. “These are just embers of a fire that isn’t completely out,” Dr. Siegel explained. In the fall, I will most certainly prescribe the new XBB subvariant booster, particularly for those in high-risk groups who haven’t had a recent infection or vaccine.”
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As the United States prepares for this potential new wave, health professionals closely monitor the situation and encourage people to be cautious.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn