(NEXSTAR) — A summer surge in COVID-19 cases has led to a significant increase in hospitalizations for serious virus-related complications. Nationwide, COVID-related hospitalizations have risen by 12% in the most recent week of data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, certain U.S. counties are experiencing an even more dire situation. The CDC has categorized COVID-19 hospitalizations as “medium” in 17 counties across the country, indicating that between 10 and 19.9 individuals are hospitalized with the virus for every 100,000 residents.
In Navarro and Freestone counties in Texas, hospitalizations increased by a staggering 250% in just one week, tripling the number of patients. Although only 14 new admissions occurred within the past week, this represents a “high” hospitalization rate based on the relatively small populations of the counties, according to the CDC.
Other areas of concern include:
- Southeast Texas (Presidio, Brewster, and Jeff Davis counties): hospitalizations increased by 100% in one week
- Northeastern Oregon (Wallowa, Union, and Baker counties)
- Central Oklahoma (Seminole, Hughes, Pontotoc, and Coal counties): hospitalizations surged by 450%
- Hawaii County: hospitalizations rose by 64%
- Southern Nebraska (Adams, Clay, Webster, and Nuckolls counties): hospitalizations surged by 125%
- Mohave County, Arizona: hospitalizations remained high but decreased week over week
- Colquitt County, Georgia: hospitalizations increased by 67%
Nationally, the CDC reports an additional 8,035 COVID-19 hospital admissions. This represents the largest spike in COVID hospitalizations since last winter, according to The Hill.
As the CDC no longer tracks infections, hospitalizations currently serve as one of the main indicators for understanding the rate of virus spread and its regional impact. Jill Rosenthal, director of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, suggests that the summer surge of COVID-19 may become the new normal. She stated, “We have had a summer wave of COVID for the last few summers, and so it’s not surprising to see an increase in COVID right now.“
Although winter typically leads to increased indoor socialization, which accelerates the spread of the coronavirus, summer brings more travel and overall socializing. Additionally, in hotter regions, people tend to socialize indoors in air-conditioned spaces rather than outdoors.
The omicron variant remains dominant, accounting for 99.9% of cases, as reported by the CDC.