Covid-19: US witnessing new wave? Health agency issues warning as hospitalisations spike
PTC News Desk: In the midst of what was meant to be a respite from the pandemic, the United States has encountered a terrifying reality after a late summer increase in Covid-19 infections. Hospitals are once again coping with an alarming spike in Covid-19 hospitalisations due to increased infection rates, putting great strain on the healthcare system.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the frequency of Covid-19 hospitalisations in the United States has been increasing. According to data, hospitalisations have increased by 10%, the largest increase since December 2022.
Over 7,100 Covid patients were hospitalised in the week of July 15, up from 6,444 the previous week, while Covid-related emergency room visits also increased. Covid makes up around 0.73% of visits as of July 21, up from 0.49% the previous month.
‘Rise in early symptoms of infection’
Dr Brendan Jackson, the CDC's Covid incident manager in Atlanta, told NPR that "things are starting to tick back up again after roughly six, seven months of steady declines."
"For the previous few weeks, we've seen the early symptoms rise. And just this week, for the first time in a long time, we've noticed an increase in hospitalizations," he remarked.
"This could be the start of a late summer wave," he added, emphasizing the substantial jumps in the Southeast.
The "mutagenic" subvariants arising in Asia are more alarming, but for most people in the US, "these early signs don't need to mean much," he added.
“Early indicators of Covid-19 activity (emergency department visits, test positivity and wastewater levels) preceded an increase in hospitalisations seen this past week," CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley added.
However, covid rates remain at "near-historic lows" in the US, she said. She further added that overall infection-related deaths are declining and are at the lowest rate since the CDC started keeping track.
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- With inputs from agencies
