The number of patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 occupying Michigan hospital beds has doubled in less than three weeks, with the largest peaks occurring among unvaccinated adults under 50, according to the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
Since March 1, hospitalizations among adults aged 40 to 49 have skyrocketed by 800 percent, while hospitalizations for confirmed cases of COVID-19 among adults aged 30 to 39 have increased by 633 percent through Tuesday, according to the MHA.
The MHA reported only percentage increases in hospitalizations for individual age groups because the trade association is “prohibited from sharing raw data due to our data usage agreements,” said MHA spokesman John Karasinski. These age groups are less likely to be vaccinated.
The bed count across the state on Tuesday for COVID-positive patients was 1,566, an increase of 49 percent over the previous week and more than double the 752 COVID patients who were reported hospitalized on March 1. , show state data.
“I absolutely think that what is driving transmission now in the community is … the relaxation of some of the restrictions, it is people getting together more and it is also the presence of these variants,” said Dr. Nick Gilpin, medical director for infection prevention and epidemiology for Beaumont Health.
Last week, Michigan had the second highest number of known cases of cases of B.1.1.7, a mutation of the virus – known as the UK variant – behind only Florida, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control. States and Prevention.
In the last 13 days, the seven-day average number of new cases has more than doubled to 3,122 – the highest daily average since January 9, when cases dropped rapidly after the peak of holiday infections, shows a Crain analysis of data statewide.
The rapid increase in new cases and hospitalizations occurs when adults between the ages of 16 and 49 with pre-existing medical conditions were released by the state to start receiving one of three vaccines to protect against serious illness and death from the virus that claimed life. of 15,935 people last year.
“Michigan is making progress to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing vaccination rates, but the war is not over yet,” said MHA medical director Gary Roth.
The Michigan hospital business group sounded the alarm about the increase in COVID hospitalizations on Wednesday at Beaumont Health, announced that it was re-imposing restrictions on visitors to patients with confirmed cases of the virus.
Beaumont will restrict visitors inside patient rooms with confirmed or pending COVID-19 tests for patients approaching the end of their lives, under 21, women in labor “or other extreme circumstances where the benefits of presence outweigh the benefits the risk of exposure to COVID, “Gilpin said.
Elsewhere in hospitals, other patients in critical condition or being evaluated for palliative care will be limited to two people at the bedside at the same time, said Gilpin.