New COVID-19 infections in Colorado rose for the second consecutive week, and hospitalizations for the virus increased Monday, though it is still too early to know if this is the start of an upward trend that the recent increase in cases follow.
As of Monday afternoon, 401 people across the state have been hospitalized with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19, a one-day increase of 25 and the highest level since March 1.
The number of people admitted to hospital for the virus has been on a plateau in recent weeks, but it’s going up – so one day’s numbers don’t necessarily say much. But new cases rose for a second week, and hospitalizations generally followed cases up or down after a delay of one or two weeks.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment reported 8,698 new coronavirus infections in the week ending Sunday, which was about 600 more than the previous week.
The nationwide percentage of COVID-19 tests that came back positive reached 6% for the first time since the end of January, indicating that increased tests cannot blame the increase in cases. A positivity rate of more than 5% raises concerns that infections cannot be identified through testing.
The measures point to an increase in distribution, rather than a measure of happiness in numbers, says Beth Carlton, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at the Colorado School of Public Health. The increase is likely due to a combination of the fact that the state is weakening its restrictions, that people are getting tired of taking precautions and that the virus is spreading more, ‘she said.
Experts disagree as to whether the US sees the start of a fourth wave or isolated hotspots. Cases are increasing in the northeast and upper Middle East, and hospitalizations have also increased in some states.
The good news is that new cases and hospitalizations are declining for people over the age of 65, who are most likely to become seriously ill or die, Carlton said. This suggests that vaccination has an effect, she said.
The chance of COVID-19 becoming seriously ill increases with each decade of life. It is therefore unlikely that the state will exceed hospital capacity after vaccinating a large number of elderly people, Carlton said. It is likely that hospitalizations will increase at least a small amount because younger people can still become seriously ill, she said.
“We expect an increase in hospitalizations,” she said. “We do not expect a full-blown crisis.”
The percentage of hospitalizations involving people under 50 has increased over the past month, although the change is small enough to ensure that it is a trend.
UCHealth has seen the number of 20- to 30-year-olds being treated for COVID-19 in a hospital or outpatient setting since March. Overall hospitalizations have remained constant in the health care system, but there are more younger people admitted to the hospital than a year ago, Drs. Richard Zane, head of innovation at UCHealth, said.
Younger people are less likely to be vaccinated and may not take as many precautions as those who are older, Zane said. The spread of more contagious variants probably also has something to do with the increase in younger people seeking care, but it is not clear whether the variants make them sicker, he said.
“It’s just too early to tell,” he said.
People who have not yet been vaccinated should wear their masks in public indoor spaces, avoid crowded buildings and limit their close contact, Carlton said.
“If you have not been vaccinated yet, be careful,” she said.
Since March 2020, 468,988 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19. So far, 25,774 have been hospitalized and 6,622 have died from the virus.
Denica Post staff writer Jessica Seaman contributed to this report.
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