Covid Hospitalizations

Health
Written By Alysha Rashid

Covid-associated hospitalizations for U.S. seniors spiked in the most recent Covid surge.

Covid-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 population by age, U.S.

For weeks ending Oct 7, 2017- Sep 3, 2022

Source: HHS Covid-19 datasets and Census Bureau Vintage 2021 PEP. Notes: 7-day average of new admissions for confirmed Covid cases. Based on reporting from all hospitals (n=5,317).

Though Covid hospitalizations are below the Omicron surge in early 2022, the CDC’s Community Transmission map shows high levels of community transmission across the nation, meaning that many counties have 100 or more new cases per 100,000 persons and 10.0% or more positive diagnostic tests (NAATs).1,2 The newest variant, XXB.1.5, is said to be highly transmissible and experts express concern as hospitalizations rates tick upwards for all ages in the 2022-2023 winter season.3,4,5,6 For those ages 70 and up, the concerns are even greater. As of January 7, 2023, elderly people ages 70 and up were 9 times more likely to be hospitalized than adults between the ages of 18-59.

Vaccine take-up, while traditionally high for seniors, has been lower for the most recent updated booster shot. 94% percent of Americans ages 65 and up received a complete primary dosage but only 39% have gotten their updated bivalent booster shot.7 Studies indicate that the updated bivalent booster shot is more effective than the initial vaccines in protecting against Covid.8,9 Medical experts encourage communities to get boosted and get vaccinated in an effort to ease overwhelmed hospitals and health care workers.10,11,12

  1. “COVID-19 Integrated Country View”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&metric-cases=Cases_7_day_count_change&null=Risk

  2. “Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs)”. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/naats.html

  3. “What we know about the XBB.1.5 COVID variant sweeping the Northeast”. Choi. The Hill. January, 2023. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3803161-what-we-know-about-the-xbb-1-5-covid-variant-sweeping-the-northeast/

  4. “XBB.1.5 on Track to Become the Top COVID-19 Subvariant in the U.S.”. Rauf. Everyday Health. January, 2023. https://www.everydayhealth.com/coronavirus/xbb-1-5-is-now-the-top-covid-19-subvariant-in-the-us/

  5. “COVID Data Tracker”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions 

  6. “What we know and don’t know about the XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant”. Scribner. Axios. December, 2022. https://www.axios.com/2022/12/31/xbb15-covid-variant-symptoms-new-england-omicron

  7. “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-pop65

  8. “Effectiveness of Bivalent mRNA Vaccines in Preventing Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Increasing Community Access to Testing Program, United States, September-November 2022”. Link-Gelles, Ciesla, Fleming-Dutra, et al. CDC. November, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e1.htm#suggestedcitation

  9. “Effectiveness of the Bivalent mRNA Vaccine in Preventing Severe COVID-19 Outcomes: An Observational Cohort Study”. Arbel, Peretz, Sergienko, Friger, Beckenstein, Yaron, Hammerman, Bilenko, and Netzer. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4314067

  10. “Alabama sees spike in COVID hospitalizations as new XBB.1.5 variant pushes into state”. Archibald. January, 2023. AL.com. https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/alabama-sees-spike-in-covid-hospitalizations-as-new-xbb15-variant-pushes-into-state.html

  11. “COVID hospitalizations up in the state by almost 60 percent from last month”. Farris. 4WWL. January, 2023. https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/covid-hospitalizations-up-in-the-state-by-almost-60-percent-from-last-month/289-4118957a-1404-4879-b3bd-3933a7bdf221

  12. “Florida COVID hospitalizations skyrocket as case counts become unreliable”. Persaud. The Palm Beach Post. January, 2023. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2023/01/07/covid-case-counts-unreliable-as-florida-hospitalizations-skyrocket/69780829007/

Alysha Rashid
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