Hospitalizations in Iowa are once again reaching an alarming rate. | Canva
Hospitalizations in Iowa are once again reaching an alarming rate. | Canva
Yet another wave of hospitalizations has struck Iowa and other states across the country. In Iowa, the hospitalization rate is reaching an alarming level.
The state reported 10,643 new cases over the seven days prior to Nov. 24, which makes it the fourth week this year to surpass 10,000 cases reported, according to the Des Moines Register. This represents the first time that over 10,000 cases have been reported since September.
As for hospitalizations, 623 residents in Iowa were admitted during the week ending Nov. 24. This was 79 more than the previous week and only 15 cases short of the weekly record set back in September.
The rise in hospitalizations for COVID-19 paired with a spike in flu cases has medical professionals highly concerned. The deadly combination could result in overrun hospitals and a shortage of hospital rooms, the Des Moines Register reported.
Some residents are frustrated with the Iowa governor's lack of response. One such example is that of Tina Johnson (@tinadeerhunted on Twitter), who tweeted, "COVID up, hospitalizations up but #CovidKim @govreynolds says.' It's not all bad news... ' what an idiot."
Meanwhile, Gov. Kim Reynolds said that the state is tracking behind where they were last year for hospitalizations.
"When you take a look at where we were last year, we were at almost 1,500," Reynolds said, according to the Des Moines Register. "Our (vaccination) numbers continue to go up, so that’s positive. We’re seeing a lot of the pediatric vaccines are being administered, so we’re seeing some people, families that are taking advantage of that."
Alerts Sign-up