The latest Covid-19 figures from the Delaware Division of Public Health’s My Healthy Community site show a gradual rise in hospitalizations late in the year, with the greatest concentration of cases in affluent areas of the state.
An average of nearly 95 hospitalizations for the virus were reported, up from about 49 in October. Upwards of 10 people are in critical condition. The bulk of recent deaths have come from those over age 65..
All but the most serious cases of Covid-19 are treated with a drug regimen usually taken at home. The treatment requires that patients be in the early stages of the disease.
Covid-19 cases tend to increase over the holidays and peak in the new year, due in part to more family and social gatherings.The number of hospital stays peaked at more than 200 in late January of this year.
The My Healthy Community site showed that the largest concentration of cases comes in in the higher income Hockessin-north Wilmington zip codes and in the Lewes-Rehoboth and Bethany Beach areas. All have a sizable population of older residents.
The rate of booster vaccinations for Covid-19 remains low with less than 13% of the state’s population getting shots.
States with the highest rates of hospitalizations are in the norther tier (Montanta to Wisconsin). Also showing high rates are Arizona, New Mexico, Virginia and West Virginia.
A new Covid-19 variant is belived to be responsible for an increase in cases. The severity of disease among those affected by ghe variant does not appear to be more severe than previous strains.
