COVID Deaths Jump 25% as Hospitalizations Continue to Rise

Hospital beds are filling fast as the rise in respiratory viruses continues to sweep across the US

Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 are rising as the nation heads into the holidays, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s most recent report highlights a nearly 18% increase week over week in COVID hospitalizations. As of Dec. 2, more than 22,000 people were hospitalized with the virus. That figure is nearly triple what was seen in July at the beginning of the summer surge of the virus.

Concerningly, the data also shows a 25% increase in COVID deaths during the same week. The CDC estimates that COVID was responsible for approximately 3% of all deaths in the United States during the most recent week on record.

Several different variants are responsible for an uptick in COVID cases, but HV.1 accounts for the most, at nearly 30%. HV.1 , which experts believe might be more transmissible, though it doesn’t cause more severe illness, has been the most dominant variant for more than a month.

With the rise in hospitalizations, there has also been an increase in the need for inpatient and intensive care unit beds . Around 76% of inpatient beds and nearly 73% of ICU beds are currently occupied, though COVID patients only account for a small portion of them.

CDC director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, recently warned that respiratory viruses are in “full swing” as she detailed the rise of flu and RSV throughout the United States . Days later, after new data on case counts was released, Dr. Cohen advised Americans to once again mask up and consider getting an updated COVID vaccine heading into the holidays.

“To protect yourself and your family this holiday season, take the steps that we do every year to protect ourselves. Get your updated COVID and flu vaccines and your RSV vaccine if you're over 60. It's not too late to get vaccinated if you haven't already,” she said. “Use additional layers of protection like avoiding people who are sick, washing your hands, improving ventilation and wearing a mask.”

Updated COVID vaccines that target some of the most common variants to circulate in recent months were made available to the public in September, but their uptake has been limited since the rollout.