Hospital admissions due to Covid-19 have been on the rise in the United States since July, with the most recent figure reaching 17,418 for the week beginning August 26, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While these numbers are not as alarming as those seen during the height of the pandemic, there has been a consistent increase. This surge follows a period when the US had achieved its lowest number of Covid-19 hospitalizations since the pandemic’s onset, with only 6,315 patients in June of this year.
The CDC has designated fifteen counties as having a “high” level of hospital admissions this week, compared to just seven two weeks prior. The CDC collects hospital admission data at the county level per Health Service Area, which can result in some counties within the same HSA having similar rates. Smaller counties can also report larger numbers compared to more populous ones.
In the past week, Los Angeles County, California, reported the highest number of new hospitalizations per capita, with 740 individuals being admitted. Meanwhile, 351 different counties reported zero hospitalizations during the same period.
Florida (11.2) and Hawaii (9.46) continue to report the highest number of hospital admissions per 100,000 for this week, as they did on August 29. Some states have seen slight increases, while others have witnessed decreases, such as Mississippi, which had a rate of 6.5 two weeks ago and is now at 6.18.
The highest number of hospital admissions in the US since the CDC began collecting data occurred during the week beginning January 15, 2021, with 150,647 patients admitted. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, has stated that while he does not anticipate another mask mandate, mask-wearing recommendations could return this winter due to the rising Covid-19 cases.
