A post-Thanksgiving surge in covid-19 patients is expected, even as health-care systems deal with waves of feverish, coughing people infected with RSV and influenza.
According to Washington Post data tracking, Covid hospitalizations reached their highest level in three months last week, with more than 35,000 patients being treated. National hospitalizations had remained stable throughout the fall, but began to rise in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Except for a few states, all have reported per capita increases in the last week.
Public health officials are concerned that the increased number of covid patients will exacerbate the strain on hospitals already under strain from the effects of two other viral illnesses, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
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During Thanksgiving week, nearly 20,000 Americans were hospitalized with influenza, the highest number for that week in more than a decade and nearly double the previous week’s total.
RSV, covid, and influenza push hospitals to the verge, and the situation may worsen.
Nancy Foster of the American Hospital Association reported that members continue to be more concerned about RSV and influenza than covid.
Experts warn that the holidays are a prime time for the coronavirus to spread as millions of Americans travel and gather for the Thanksgiving and New Years Holidays. . According to health experts, the increase in hospitalizations is likely due to a combination of patients infected prior to the Thanksgiving holiday rush and those exposed during Thanksgiving week while visiting family.
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Daily new covid hospital admissions have surpassed 9,000, after hovering between 5,000 and 7,000 for the majority of the autumn.
Winter is typically a busy season for hospitals, particularly in cold-weather states where people are more likely to congregate indoors, providing ample opportunities for the spread of respiratory viruses.
In late 2020 and early 2021, prior to the widespread availability of coronavirus vaccines, covid sufferers strained hospital wards to the breaking point, with more than 3,000 deaths per day at their peak. And last winter, hospitals struggled to deliver basic treatment due to staffing shortages caused by the omicron version of the coronavirus, which caused a surge of cases.
This winter, the majority of people in the United States should be immune due to vaccination, prior infection, or both, which should reduce the severity of infections. Furthermore, individuals who do become ill have access to a wider array of treatments designed to expedite recovery and keep them out of the hospital.
The number of covid patients hospitalized at Banner Health, the largest health system in Arizona, has doubled in the past month to over 600. They make up less than 10 percent of all patients, as opposed to almost 40 percent during the pandemic’s earlier stages. However, the relatively smaller number of covid infections is offset by an early increase in influenza and RSV cases that exceeds the five-year average.
Children’s Hospital of Orange County in California has been inundated by RSV cases, causing the county to proclaim and extend a state of emergency. In November, the emergency department of the hospital saw a record 12,000 people and, at times, had to shift patients to other medical facilities. Now, the children’s hospital is also observing an increase in covid hospitalizations, but not nearly as many as RSV-related cases. Some children arrive with numerous viral infections.
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According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, older patients account for the majority of new covid hospitalizations. This is despite the fact that children’s hospitals and pediatric wards have been under the most strain due to other respiratory viruses.
The trend, according to experts, underscores the necessity for individuals aged 65 and older to receive updated, omicron-specific booster shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that less than one-third of this age group has received the most recent vaccination.
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To reduce the strain on hospitals, it is essential to increase booster uptake among older people and ensure that medically vulnerable patients are receiving antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid soon after they test positive.
Disclaimer: Peach Medical strongly recommends discussing any testing plans or protocols with a certified physician or healthcare professional before making any decisions. The information provided by Peach Medical is intended to be general in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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