Seniors and caregivers beware: Hospital admissions for both COVID-19 and influenza are on the rise across the U.S., with the biggest spikes among people over the age of 65.
Hospitalizations for people infected with the coronavirus rose by more than 30% over the past two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Tracker. Older adults with existing health problems accounted for much of the increase. Meanwhile, the number of hospitalizations for the flu spiked to more than 25,000 during the first week of December, with the flu affecting 67.3 people over the age of 65 for every 100,000 people.
Just under 70% of Americans are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, while just over 42% of Americans have been vaccinated against the flu this season. CDC Administrator Rochelle Walensky has been encouraging all Americans to get vaccinated this winter, recently stating that this year’s vaccines appear to be the best defense against the strains of the virus that are circulating.
“We look in real time as to how well we think the influenza match is to what’s circulating and right now, the good news is that it looks like it is a very good match,” Walensky stated to reporters last week.
The holiday season can be especially dangerous in the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 and the flu as people gather indoors for celebrations. Many viral illnesses are spread through touch, such as making contact with a contaminated surface and then touching your face.
