COVID hospitalizations on the rise as U.S. enters Labor Day weekend

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

The U.S. is seeing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as it enters Labor Day weekend. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 15,067 new COVID patient hospitalizations for the week ending Aug. 19. That marked an 18.8% jump from the week before, and a staggering 86.9% increase over the past month. However, that is still down almost 61% compared to the same time last year.

New COVID hospital admissions have increased for seven straight weeks and are expected to continue rising. The CDC said it expects anywhere from 1,700 to 9,700 daily COVID admissions by the end of September.

Los Angeles County has seen cases double in the last month, according to data from the L.A. County Department of Public Health, with nursing homes particularly affected. There have only been a few times in the past year and a half when we saw this many new outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities," L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. "And these were during the previous summer and winter surges."

In New Jersey, about one in four nursing homes are reporting an outbreak, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Retailers and pharmacies are seeing increased demand for in-person and at-home COVID testing. Walgreens told CBS News in a statement Friday that it was "seeing greater demand in this category nationwide, which may cause temporary and isolated shortages."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-hospitalizations-u-s-rise-testing-demand-increases/

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Link to CDC tracker - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklyhospitaladmissions_select_00

[Siwsan]

1. My brother tested positive, yesterday.

It's his second time having it. The first was in February 2020 and it was bad. This time he thought he was coming down with a cold, but since he's a school bus driver he decided, out of pure caution, to test.

He's on Paxlovid. They said the time of when he was probably exposed and school, on Tuesday, he just has to wear a mask for the next 30 days and won't have to miss any work.

I haven't texted to see how he is, yet. I figured he's probably going to want to get as much rest as possible.

I saw him earlier this week. So far I've tested negative. I checked the infection and hospitalization stats for my county and they are definitely up. I'm back to masking when shopping.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. One of my cousins got it a couple weeks ago

while up in MA. She had to go on 2 courses of Paxlovid but finally tested negative a few days ago.

I haven't stopped masking while inside retail establishments. I even had a repair guy come by a couple days ago to fix my central air unit and I masked up. Just gotta get through a Labor Day bbq that one of my sisters is having tomorrow - but being outside should help some.

[Siwsan]

4. I have been noticing more people wearing masks, again.

I had stopped masking when I grocery shop since I go at 6:30 am and there are very few other customers. Even when I went to Aldi when they open at 9, there were few customers. Now there are quite a few cars in the lot when I get there. Still not many at Kroger or Meijer, that early, but I'm going back to masking.

Dining out is still beyond my comfort zone. In the last 3 years I've eating restaurants exactly twice. Once inside, this year for my birthday, and once outside when my best friend came to visit, last year. The next day she tested positive for Covid. Go figure. Fortunately we got her Paxlovid and she sailed through, pretty much symptom free and I never tested positive.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Most of the masking has disappeared where I live EXCEPT for many older individuals

who do (thankfully) still mask. I try to go to the supermarket when there are few in there and there are still a number of cashiers who have continued to mask up. They have pretty much removed the plexiglass shields from the checkouts here (and the last time I was at my pharmacy, they removed the ones there too).

I think people seemed to be resigned to eventually "getting it" and have pretty much shoved it into the "bad flu" category in terms of risk and aftermath. My thing is, the "flu" doesn't have anything really comparable to "long COVID" once the virus has run its course and THAT is why I continue to try to mask inside stores, movie theaters, etc. At least nowadays, people got accustomed to seeing other people masked so I haven't been getting side glances and maybe they will assume that I do "have it" and will keep their distance!

[tanyev]

17. I had to pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy yesterday and noticed the shields were gone, too.

Seems like they were there last time I went in and I know several of the people behind the counter were still wearing masks. I know this because I still mask up to go inside a store and I felt some solidarity with the pharmacy staff. But none of them had a mask on yesterday. I recall thinking, "Now? Now's when you stop wearing a mask?" Makes me wonder if there was some store policy or managerial edict that was the only reason they wore them as long as they did and for some reason that has changed.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Exactly!

This is usually when "surges" of stuff (in addition to COVID) start to happen anyway whether it's flu, regular colds (which are a mix of viruses), and now RSV. And with kids going back to school, apparently strep is back out there again.

[Blues Heron]

3. New COVID hospital admissions have increased for seven straight weeks

Our ninth wave in three years, lets hope this one is mild. In the meantime, mask up! the life you save may be your own.

Remember masks protect YOU and OTHERS.

[Siwsan]

5. I really stocked up, earlier in the pandemic

So I'm good to go.

[pazzyanne]

11. Same for me

With an autoimmune disease I choose not to take any chances. I met with family members for a picnic outdoors with a nice breeze without a mask. It was an enjoyable day visiting with "faces".

[Traildogbob]

6. And packed thick

Footballs stadiums. I have not seen a mask yet at any game I have watched. Lots of gapping mouthes spewing out misty particles. Gonna get real, while trump et al screaming no masks, no shots, no shutting down. This time around should get the Find Out stage right where it should be. Stay away from red hats. It’s like the virus dress code. A warning flag.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. ....

[Traildogbob]

9. Love this!

[BumRushDaShow]

10. She is one of my favorite WaPo political cartoonists

who does some "animated" ones.

[Traildogbob]

12. Thank you.

I gotta see note from her. A real artist.

[former9thward]

22. Which of our leaders is wearing masks?

I know of none.

[republianmushroom]

13. New COVID variant BA.2.86 is now in 5 states.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143124308

[iluvtennis]

14. I stopped masking just a few months ago. Time to start up again. n/t

[area51]

15. Covid never went anywhere. n/t

[Sucha NastyWoman]

16. How many are dying from it?

I’d like to see some information about that.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. CDC has weekly/monthly/yearly data here

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/index.htm

Below the chart are buttons to toggle "Weekly", "Monthly", "Yearly".

If you just look at the "COVID-19" (all) column which is the first one, it peaked out about 14,900 (monthly) this past January and has gradually dropped through spring and summer ~2,250 for July (monthly), but the last data they have from August is showing the slight uptick again to about 2,280 (monthly). As a note, deaths are a lagging indicator so if someone gets infected, and then is hospitalized, if the illness is severe enough to cause a fatality, then t hat would probably not have a death registered for some time while the cause is investigated, and then signed off on.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

23. Thanks for that information

Definitely something to keep an eye on.

[Al Gorhythm]

19. Keep an eye out post covid......

Caught covid on an flight from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta. Woman behind me coughed the entire flight and caught it six days later. Had moderate symptoms for a couple weeks, then a bit of a cough for a couple more. Started to run again but then caught what I thought was a bit of bronchitis or was allergies. Went to doctor and found out that it was caused by inflammation associated with covid after the replication phase stops. X-ray revealed an enlarged heart and slight lung infection. This is serious stuff and not to be taken lightly even if the initial phase wasn't bad. Buena suerte!

[moniss]

21. It's all part of the same effort to tear away at

the authority of federal agencies. Ignorant people fail to realize that Congress can't possibly address every regulation of every single thing. There simply isn't the time. That's why you empower federal agencies to make specific regulations with respect to broad general mandates, policies and programs. The agencies in turn have qualified staff and also use outside expertise by way of studies and testimony in order to inform their decisions. They take input from anyone and everyone who cares to comment during comment periods prior to a regulation taking effect.

The GQP wishes to rip apart the ability of various agencies to regulate medicines, chemicals, food safety, employment hazards, environmental matters etc. and the list goes on and on. All for the sake of greed and power and they do not care about the injury and death to people that result from their actions. In fact they also work hard at the state and federal level to limit any court actions/damages that might result from their gutting of regulatory capability.

[Novara]

24. It's toddler-level temper tantrums, and it was started by the biggest toddler in the free world

YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!

While there are "smarter" GOP operatives whose sole mission in life is to prove that government doesn't work, we were led by the biggest babyman in the entire world whose whole life is one giant toddler-level temper tantrum. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!

People in my geographical area are proud to be stupid, are proud to refuse to take precautions and wear a mask. It took all the self control I had not to scream at a co-worker who was laughing about being a stubborn, stupid fool who refused to mask up. "I ain't wearing no mask. I refuse." Okay, so that picture of your first newborn grandchild on your desk means nothing to you? I mean, how fucking stupid is it to be proud not to protect yourself and your loved ones? Sure, you may get a mild case of it, but do you want to risk long COVID? You want to risk that newborn grandchild?