Because the coronavirus continues to surge throughout the US, hospitals are once more filling up with sick COVID-19 sufferers. And the overwhelming majority of these sufferers are unvaccinated, as two new charts assist make exceedingly clear.
A type of charts exhibits that from January 24 to July 24, vaccinated people had been hospitalized with COVID-19 at a a lot decrease cumulative price than unvaccinated people. And the distinction in charges between the 2 teams has solely grown over time. By late July, a complete of about 26 adults per 100,000 vaccinated individuals had been hospitalized for COVID-19. That’s in contrast with about 431 hospitalized individuals for each 100,000 unvaccinated people — a price roughly 17 instances as excessive as for many who had been vaccinated. The info come from 13 states, together with California, Georgia and Utah.
That pattern held when the researchers charted hospitalization charges on a weekly foundation too. From January to July, weekly hospitalization charges amongst unvaccinated individuals had been six to 31 instances as excessive as these in vaccinated individuals, the researchers report August 29 at medRxiv.org.
The buildup of hospitalizations in every group over time, which that first chart exhibits, illustrates the danger of creating extreme COVID-19 total. And its message is evident: In case you’re vaccinated throughout this pandemic, your danger of hospitalization is way, a lot decrease than should you’re not vaccinated. The weekly price, alternatively, is a bit just like the speedometer on a automotive — offering a glimpse of what’s taking place week by week because the coronavirus spreads. Its message can be clear: The chance of a vaccinated particular person turning into hospitalized stays low at any given time, whereas the danger for unvaccinated individuals can fluctuate, in all probability on account of group transmission.
The findings, together with different current analysis out of Los Angeles County, “remind us that in case you are not but vaccinated, you might be amongst these highest in danger,” Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, mentioned August 24 in a White Home information briefing. “Please don’t underestimate the danger of significant penalties of this virus.”
As of August 26, greater than 100,000 persons are hospitalized for COVID-19 in the US, based on the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies — a degree not seen since January amid the winter surge.
A separate research, described August 24 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, that targeted on Los Angeles County additionally confirmed that whereas COVID-19 vaccines don’t all the time cease infections, the photographs nonetheless forestall individuals from touchdown within the hospital. That’s even with the unfold of the extremely contagious delta variant, which has raised considerations amongst public well being officers as a result of some vaccinated individuals who get contaminated can transmit the coronavirus to others (SN: 7/30/21).
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On July 25, when the delta variant was prevalent within the county, unvaccinated individuals had been practically 30 instances as more likely to be hospitalized as vaccinated individuals, the researchers discovered. Just one vaccinated particular person for each 100,000 individuals was hospitalized for COVID-19. Amongst unvaccinated individuals, there have been round 29 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. In that very same research, unvaccinated individuals had been 5 instances as more likely to be contaminated as vaccinated individuals.
Whereas the vaccines don’t defend in opposition to an infection in addition to they do in opposition to extreme illness, the photographs are conserving individuals off ventilators and from dying, Kathryn Edwards, an infectious illness pediatrician at Vanderbilt College College of Medication in Nashville, mentioned August 26 in a information briefing sponsored by the Infectious Illnesses Society of America. “We can’t lose the forest for the bushes.”
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