CDC says coronavirus hospitalization rates, deaths rising nationally
Latest figures don’t include Thanksgiving and its aftermath
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday documented rising coronavirus spread, hospitalization rates and deaths in recent months nationally.
The latest figures don’t include Thanksgiving and its aftermath of close, indoor gatherings among nonhousehold members; the data accounts for the week ending November 21.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The overall weekly hospitalization rate is at its highest point in the pandemic, with steep increases in individuals aged 65 years and older,” reads the report. "The overall cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate through the week ending November 21, 2020, was 243.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 population."
Those aged 65 and over have experienced "steep increases" in weekly hospitalization rates, per the CDC, as visible by the blue dotted line. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The national health agency said the percentage of deaths from pneumonia, flu and COVID-19 increased in October and early November, though the coronavirus primarily drove the rise in mortality, per the report.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Among the 2,000 PIC [pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19] deaths reported for week 47, 1,181 had COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on the death certificate and five listed influenza,” according to the report.
The center of the country held the highest percent positivity, while also reporting a drop in positivity from the week prior. These hard-hit areas were the Midwest at 14.4%, South Central at 14.2%, Central at 19.3% and Mountain at 16.4%.
The overall nationwide percent positivity dropped from 12% to 10.6% over the week prior.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Visits to outpatient centers or emergency departments for flu-or-coronavirus-like illness have also been on the rise since mid-September, the CDC wrote.
The agency expects additional increases for recent weeks as more data come in.