(WXYZ) – Michigan could potentially face another COVID-19 consequences, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical officer, said at a press conference on Friday.
Dr. Khaldun said that “very worrying data” shows that the state is going in the wrong direction
“We are not out of the woods yet,” she said.
Case rates in Michigan now amount to 173 cases per million and have been increasing over the past four weeks. They increased by 77% in all age groups, but those between the ages of 10 and 19 saw the largest increase.
In addition, the percentage of positivity has increased over the past four weeks and is now at 6.2 percent. There has also been an increase in hospitalization rates over the past two weeks, with 4.9% of the cribs used for COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Khaldun said many of the cases are related to outbreaks that have increased to 645 across the country.
Last week, the number of cases in K-12 institutions exceeded the number in long-term care homes. Dr. Khaldun said there are risks associated with activities related to children in this age group.
Many of the outbreaks are related to sports; Dr. Khaldun said 315 outbreaks are related to various sports teams related to clubs, schools and recreational sports.
In addition, dr. Khaldun said that although children are less likely to become seriously ill due to COVID-19, they can still do so. The state continues to monitor cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, known as MIS-C, a syndrome associated with COVID-19 in children that can cause multiple organ inflammation.
To date, 89 cases of MIS-C in children in Michigan have been identified.
“We still need to protect our children from this terrible virus,” said Dr. Khaldun said.
The state also continues to track down variants. Currently, 736 cases of the B117 variant have been identified in 31 provinces across the country. Michigan has the second most cases of this variant in the United States, behind Florida.
Dr Khaldun said that most cases with this variant are related to outbreaks in municipal environment, but the variant also spreads in the community.
“I’m worried about our current numbers,” she said. “It is essential that we protect each other by wearing masks and doing social distance.”
“How it plays out depends on what we all do together to protect ourselves and our families.”
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