Half US Reported Rising Covid Cases Last Week, Mostly Delta Variant

The Covid infection spikes are overwhelmingly among unvaccinated people in states with low vaccination rates and are leading to rising hospitalizations. JL 

Elinor Aspegren reports in USA Today:

Alaska and Arkansas more than doubled cases in just the last week. South Carolina and Kansas are up more than 50%. In Missouri, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped 30%. COVID-19 cases in Mississippi increased by 15% in June, and with Mississippi's fully vaccinated rate of 31% – the lowest rate in the nation. The delta variant, first identified in India, is spreading rapidly, straining hospitals and raising fresh fears that the situation could soon grow worse as holiday gatherings seed fresh cases.

COVID-19 cases were up in nearly half of U.S. states heading into the July 4 weekend, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. 

Alaska and Arkansas more than doubled cases in just the last week. South Carolina and Kansas are up more than 50%.

In Missouri, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by nearly 30% over the Fourth of July weekend in a hard-hit area where immunization rates are low, leading to a temporary ventilator shortage and a public call for help from respiratory therapists.

The delta variant, first identified in India, is spreading rapidly throughout the state, straining hospitals in Springfield and raising fresh fears that the situation could soon grow worse as holiday gatherings seed fresh cases. Missouri leads the nation with the most new cases per capita in the past 14 days; 39.4% of residents there are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in Mississippi increased by almost 15% in June, and with Mississippi's fully vaccinated rate of 31% – the lowest rate in the nation – top disease expert Anthony Fauci said he'd wear a mask while in the state.

“I might want to go the extra mile to be cautious enough to be sure that I get the extra added layer of protection, even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective,” Fauci told Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The recent increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the state, has been attributed to the rise to the delta variant's spread. About 95% of those hospitalizations have been in unvaccinated Mississippians, officials said.

"It feels very reminiscent of where we were in an early part of the pandemic," State Epidemiologist Paul Byers said during a June 29 press conference. "It feels like we're in the same situation now with the delta variant."