More than 100,000 people have been hospitalized in the U.S. after becoming infected with the new coronavirus, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. To date, the U.S. has recorded more than 609,000 confirmed cases and over 26,000 deaths.
Nearly half of the hospitalizations were reported to be in New York, the state worst hit by the outbreak. But hospital admissions there, including in the intensive care unit (ICU), recently stabilized over a three-day period, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed at a press conference on Monday.
"If you look at the number of total [hospital] admissions, 18,000, 18,000, 18,000—that's definitely a flattening. That is good news. Still going up a little bit, by the way, but a basic flattening as opposed to increasing gaps," Cuomo said.
"The total number of hospitalizations net down, a little bit up, a little bit down... Almost every bed is an ICU bed. Net change in ICU admissions is also down," he added.
Cuomo also noted Monday that the state was projected to be in need of more than 100,000 hospital beds to accommodate its growing number of cases, pointing to earlier projections made by the White House COVID-19 task force, Cornell University, Columbia University and the McKinsey research group, as well as an organization funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"They were all projecting in the State of New York up to 140,000 beds needed. We only have 50,000 beds," he noted on CNN's Out Front With Erin Burnett on Monday.
The governor said that the worst of the outbreak may be over, if the state continues to follow mitigation measures.
"I believe the worst is over if we continue to be smart. And I believe we can now start on the path to normalcy, and we can have a plan where you start to see some businesses reopening, understanding the delicate balance," he said at the press conference.
"This is not a light switch that we can just flick on and everything goes back to normal—we have to come up with a smart, consistent strategy to restart the systems we shut down and get people back to work."
Other states with thousands of hospital admissions include New Jersey (8,185 people hospitalized), California (5,163), Illinois (4,283) and Michigan (3,910) in the top five states with the most hospitalized patients.
The COVID-19 virus, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, has spread to more than 1.9 million people across at least 185 countries and regions.
The U.S. remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with at least 609,422 cases. Nearly 126,700 have died, while over 487,400 have recovered, including at least 49,444 in the U.S., as of Wednesday.
Top 10 states with most COVID-19 hospital admissions
(as of April 15)
- New York (46,201 patients hospitalized)
- New Jersey (8,185)
- California (5,163)
- Illinois (4,283)
- Michigan (3,910)
- Florida (3,203)
- Georgia (2,858)
- Massachusetts (2,340)
- Pennsylvania (2,317)
- Ohio (2,156)
The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the spread of COVID-19 across the U.S.
Data on COVID-19 cases is from Johns Hopkins University unless otherwise stated.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19
- CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.
- Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html)
- Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.
- Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.
World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Hygiene advice
- Clean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.
- Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.
- Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.
Medical advice
- Avoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.
- Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.
- If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.
- Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.
- Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance.
Mask and glove usage
- Healthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.
- Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.
- Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.
- Do not reuse single-use masks.
- Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.
- The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek SEO Reporter is based in London, UK. She reports on various trends and lifestyle stories, from health, fitness and travel to psychology, relationships and family issues. She is also a South Korea expert who regularly covers Korean culture/entertainment for Newsweek, including the latest K-dramas, films and K-pop news, and is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in eight languages. Soo also covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 through 2021 after joining the general news desk of Newsweek in 2019 from the Daily Telegraph (a U.K. national newspaper) where she was a travel reporter/editor from 2010. She is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. Languages spoken: English and Korean.
Follow her on Twitter at @MissSooKim or Instagram at @miss.soo.kim
You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com
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