How bad is the spread of COVID-19 close to your home? The advent of home testing means that most cases of COVID aren't reported these days, so officials now look to COVID-related hospitalizations to gauge the severity of local outbreaks. According to CDC data, nationwide COVID hospitalizations are down about 3% as of Sept. 23 compared to two weeks earlier (the most recent figures available). But some states are bucking that trend and are seeing major surges. In one state, the number has more than doubled. Here are the states experiencing the biggest COVID hospitalization surges right now, in ascending order.
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 0.9
14-day change: 18%
"We are nowhere near some of the past waves that got so severe with hospitals reporting that they were completely full. We aren't seeing schools or daycares shutting down," state epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn told the Idaho Press on Oct. 5. "We're not as severe as we've seen in the past. But we are worried about the increase, and we don't know where it's headed right now."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 0.9
14-day change: 19%
According to CDC data, Indiana also saw a 28% increase in COVID-related deaths in the last 14 days for which information is available.
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 1.7
14-day change: 22%
Connecticut residents aren't exactly lining up to get this fall's updated COVID vaccine, CTInsider reported on Oct. 9. "We're just not seeing the uptake that one would hope," said Mark Masselli, founder and CEO of Community Health Center, Inc. "Probably people are missing the enormous amount of financial resources that went into advertisement and outreach. All that disappeared. I think that's worrisome, that it's almost like a cliff."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 1.4
14-day change: 24%
This week, Gov. Jim Justice urged senior citizens in the state to get the updated COVID vaccine, although he said he was just considering it himself. "It's your choice as to whether or not to take the vaccine," he said. "You know that is all there is to it. We always want to be respectful for folks who say — no I don't want to do that. But I will always do what I've done in the past, which is urge you to take the vaccine."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 0.8
14-day change: 31%
"It is possible to get the flu, COVID, and RSV all at the same time and this is a deadly combination," local radio host Tommy Carroll said on Oct. 5. "Your best bet is to protect yourself and those who are most affected by these viruses by getting vaccinated."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 1.3
14-day change: 38%
"COVID's never really gone away," state epidemiologist Dr. Ryan Westergaard recently told PBS Wisconsin. "We fully expect that it could get worse in the winter, as most respiratory viruses do, but a slow burn over the late summer and early fall is a pretty accurate description of what we've seen."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 0.6
14-day change: 44%
"Minnesota has lost 15,000 people to COVID-19, a number bigger than the population of Brainerd and a sobering marker in the state's 3½-year struggle with the infectious disease," the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on Sept. 28. The state is still recording two COVID-related deaths each day. "Infectious disease experts said the latest number is a new reminder of the need to take precautions, including newly formulated vaccine boosters that better protect against the latest variants."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 0.7
14-day change: 46%
A local health official urged North Dakota residents to be proactive against COVID this fall. "The name of the game is to stay healthy," said J'Patrick Fahn, chief medical officer of CHI St. Alexius Bismarck. "That's why it's important to get vaccinated. It's important to wash your hands. It's important to not go out if you're not feeling well."
Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 1.7
14-day change: 71%
On Oct. 5, NBC Montana reported that COVID levels in the state's wastewater had increased "dramatically." "As we're seeing an increase in COVID in our wastewater surveillance and an increase in outbreaks, it's important for people to be sure to take precautions," said Cindy Farr, director of health promotion at Missoula Public Health. "It is especially important to be a good neighbor and protect those most vulnerable to severe illness from COVID."
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Hospitalizations per 100,000 residents: 1.6
14-day change: 117%
New Hampshire Public Radio reported on Oct. 6 that some residents had encountered shortages of the updated COVID vaccine. "As is the case with health care providers across the country, currently, we are experiencing limited available quantities of the updated COVID vaccine for our outpatient settings," said Dr. Molly Mortimer, the director of pharmacy services at Elliot Health System.
