In terms of both cases and deaths related to COVID-19, Michigan is currently one of the worst states in the U.S. | Pixabay
In terms of both cases and deaths related to COVID-19, Michigan is currently one of the worst states in the U.S. | Pixabay
Newly released figures for last week showed the state of Michigan had soared to new levels of COVID-19 cases, ranking sixth in the country for the total number of cases and fifth in the numbers of deaths.
"We have the 10th-highest hospitalization rate as percent of total beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and the sixth-highest number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU (intensive care units)," Sarah Lyon-Callo, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said at a Nov. 18 news conference, according to Bridge Michigan.
In that week alone, Lyon-Callo reported the state had seen 48,757 new cases of the virus. And to give that number perspective, it took Michigan over two months to reach that level after the start of the pandemic last March.
A total of 272,034 Michigan residents have become infected and 8,128 have died, reports Bridge Michigan.
Lyon-Callo indicated the state is losing ground in battling the virus, and its contact-tracing system is being overwhelmed.
Of patients who've tested positive for the virus, only one-third said they had quarantined prior to being diagnosed, which tells doctors they could have spread the virus widely before receiving test results.
"When people are most infectious, they are unfortunately not in quarantine and can be infecting other people," Lyon-Callo told Bridge Michigan.
Put bluntly, the new spike in cases translates to a doubling of hospitalizations every two and a half weeks and a corresponding rise in deaths.
"Cases and deaths are rising at all age groups and among all racial and ethnic groups that we we record data for," Lyon-Callo said, according to Bridge Michigan. "The mortality rate will continue to climb, even if we bring case rates down now. Mortality rates tend to go up a couple weeks after... the case rates have increased."
The grim statistics led Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan health officials to enact new business closures and restrictions that took effect on Nov. 18 and will continue through Tuesday, Dec. 8.
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