COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Colorado Reach New High
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Colorado reached a new high on Monday (Nov. 30), indicating that this new wave of the novel coronavirus is far from over.
According to the latest data recorded by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 1,834 patients were hospitalized across the state with COVID-19 on Monday, and the most recent seven-day, moving average positivity rate increased to 11.20%.
106 others were receiving hospital care for COVID-like symptoms but were still waiting on their COVID-19 test results.
Julie Lonborg, the spokeswoman for the Colorado Hospital Association told the Denver Post that, although the rate of growth in hospitalizations has slowed in recent days, it would be better to see the number falling before people who may have been infected on Thanksgiving start to become seriously ill.
“These surges are going to build on each other, so to the extent that we get any time in between (surges) to slow it down, it’s a big help" Lonborg said.
The Denver Post says that it typically takes about 7 days for any COVID-19 impact from a holiday to show up, because most people don’t develop the symptoms immediately. Because of this, hospitalizations tend to rise about two weeks after an event where people spread the virus - like Thanksgiving.
The number of Coloradans infected with COVID-19 is still increasing, but not as fast as it was a week or two ago, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
"That means the odds that any particular person you meet is infected will continue to increase, even as the trajectory shows some signs of flattening," Carlton said.
Since the start of the pandemic in March, 232,905 Coloradans have tested positive for COVID-19 and 13,488 have been hospitalized. As of Monday (Nov. 30), 2,656 people died of COVID-19 and 381 others have died with the virus.
Visit covid19.colorado.gov for the latest updates regarding COVID-19 in Colorado.
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