Alarming new red wave maps show how surging COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have engulfed the United States in the last four months -...
Alarming new red wave maps show how surging COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have engulfed the United States in the last four months - as the number of patients being treated across the country hit a record high for the seventh straight week and the seven-day average death toll reached 2,237.
The data, which was included in the most recent White House task force situation report sent weekly to states, tracks the number of new COVID-19 admissions per 100 inpatient beds across the country and deaths per 100,000.
The report, leaked by the Center for Public Integrity on Tuesday, shows that 32 states were in varying 'red zones' for hospital admissions last week.
Every state, apart from Hawaii, last week had at least one county that admitted more than 26 coronavirus patients per 100 beds.
The red wave was considerably less three months earlier when the majority of counties in each state were seeing about two patients per 100 beds being admitted.
The hospitalization data, which was included in the most recent White House task force situation report sent weekly to states, tracks the number of new COVID-19 admissions per 100 inpatient beds across the country. The report shows that 32 states were in varying 'red zones' for hospital admissions last week
The red wave was considerably less three months earlier when the majority of counties in each state were seeing about two patients per 100 beds being admitted
According to the report, Maryland's counties had the most patients per 100 beds in the country last week. The state was followed by Arkansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
It is the first time hospital metrics have been included in the government report.
In the report's recommendations for states, the task force noted it was including the new hospital bed metrics so 'every state can see in pictures the significant increase in new hospitalizations for COVID-19'.
The number of people hospitalized across the country for COVID-19 yesterday reached a record 102,148.
Hospitalizations have been setting single day highs every day since October 19. The number of patients are currently rising in 31 states compared to 14 days ago, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
In Reno, Nevada, the overwhelmed Renown Regional Medical Center started treating coronavirus patients in its underground car park this week after hospitalizations surged 230 percent over the past month.
The White House report also includes map data on deaths and cases last week per 100,000 people.
For cases, the entire country is blanketed in red, which indicates that at least some counties in every state are reporting more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents.
In terms of deaths, the majority of counties across the country are seeing between 2.1 to 9.9 fatalities per 100,000. The hardest hit states for deaths last week were in the Midwest with South Dakota and North Dakota topping the list.
The hardest hit states for deaths last week were in the Midwest with South Dakota and North Dakota topping the list. The majority of counties across the country are seeing between 2.1 to 9.9 fatalities per 100,000
Deaths across the country have been rising rapidly since last month. While fatalities surged back in April during the initial peak, they did not rise at the same rates when infections started surging across the Sun Belt states in summer
The task force warned in its report that the current fall to winter surge continued to spread rapidly across the country.
'This surge is the most rapid increase in cases; the widest spread of transmission, with more than 2,000 counties in COVID red zones; and the longest duration of rapid increased, now entering its 8th week, that we have experienced,' the report said.
It comes as the US recorded 1,404 deaths and 192,299 new coronavirus cases yesterday.
Deaths across the country, which have been rising rapidly since last month, are now currently averaging 2,200 per day. During the initial peak of the virus in April, the highest seven-day rolling average was just over 2,000.
In the last week, 15,658 Americans have died from COVID-19 - making it the deadliest week in the pandemic since April.
The number of new cases has surpassed 200,000 every day in the last seven days with more than 1 million cases reported in the first week of December alone.
Infections surpassed the 15 million mark on Tuesday. More than 284,000 Americans have now died of the virus.
While fatalities surged back in April during the initial peak, they did not rise at the same rates when infections started surging across the Sun Belt states in summer.
For cases, the entire country is blanketed in red, which indicates that at least some counties in every state are reporting more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents
The maps show how the virus has spread across the country since the Northeast was the hardest hit in the spring. The summer surge targeted mostly Sunbelt states before spreading to the Midwest in the fall
Fatalities, which are a lagging indicator and can rise weeks after cases are diagnosed, remained below an average of 1,000 per day until a month ago when hospitals - mostly in the Midwest - warned they were reaching capacity.
In the last week, every state apart from Utah and Montana have reported an increase in deaths compared to the previous seven days, according to a Reuters tally of state and county reports.
South Carolina saw a 204 percent increase in deaths with 213 new fatalities. Vermont's death toll spiked by 200 percent with 12 new deaths in the last week.
The Dakotas, however, continue to record the most deaths per 100,000 across the country.
In the last week, South Dakota recorded an average of 2.7 deaths per 100,000 and North Dakota followed with 1.8 deaths, according to CDC data.
Rhode Island is currently the worst affected state across the country with an average of 110 cases per 100,000 people in the last week, the CDC data shows.
It is the first time in several weeks that a non-Midwestern state has not topped the list.
Indiana follows with 103 cases, Nebraska with 99 cases and South Dakota with 98 cases.
Government and health officials have warned that cases and deaths will rise further in the coming weeks and months due to people traveling and gathering with family - against the advice of health experts.
The number of people currently hospitalized reached a record 102,148. Hospitalizations have consistently set single-day highs since late October and are currently rising in 31 states compared to 14 days ago
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