Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are at the lowest level since early November of last year as positive cases decline in much of the country.
As of Sunday, the United States reported 47,352 hospitalized virus patients, the lowest since Nov. 2, 2020, according to data from The COVID Tracking Project. Approximately 1,049 deaths were tabulated on Sunday, the smallest number since Jan. 18, 2021.
“For the first time since Nov. 2, the number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is below 50k,” the group wrote in a Saturday tweet.
For the first time since Nov 2, the number of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 is below 50k. pic.twitter.com/cbcGTMQ5Mv
— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) February 28, 2021
The data follows news that case counts were declining in nearly all 50 states as vaccine distribution ramps up. However, prominent health authorities such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cautioned that the drop may only be temporary as COVID-19 variants, many of which are more contagious, spread quickly through the country.
COVID-19 CASES PLUNGING TOO QUICKLY TO BE CREDITED TO VACCINE ROLLOUT
“Over the last few weeks, cases and hospital admissions in the United States have been coming down since early January, and deaths have been declining in the past week,” Walensky said on Friday. “But the latest data suggest that these declines may be stalling, potentially leveling off at still a very high number.”
The highly-transmissible B.1.1.7 strain, first observed in the United Kingdom, was responsible for roughly 10% of U.S. cases last week, and experts suggest it may have a dominant presence in the country going forward. Two other variants have also been identified by the CDC, including South Africa’s B.1.351 and Brazil’s P.1, both of which “spread more easily and quickly.”
“I want to be clear: Cases, hospital admissions, and deaths all remain very high, and the recent shift in the pandemic must be taken extremely seriously,” Walensky said.
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The U.S. has accrued over 28,600,000 positive cases since the onset of the pandemic, with roughly 513,000 deaths attributed to the virus.
