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An outbreak of new coronavirus cases in Michigan is affecting a younger population than previous peaks, which officials say is likely due to high vaccination rates among people aged 70 and older. In Spectrum Health hospitals, the average age of hospital patients with COVID-19 is now 60, while last fall the average was 73, officials said at a press conference on Tuesday , according to MLive.com.
“In this latest wave that we’re seeing, it shows the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Tina Freese, president and CEO of Spectrum Health, according to WOODTV.com. “The people who present to our hospitals with COVID-19 are on average much younger than during the fall flare-up, and we have yet to treat someone who has been fully immunized.”
Last week, state health officials noted an “alarming” increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations among unvaccinated people. The first three weeks of March saw a 633% increase in hospitalizations for adults aged 30 to 39 and an 800% increase for those 40 to 49.
“ ALARM ” INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 AMONG ADULTS NOT VACCINATED IN MICHIGAN: OFFICIALS
At Spectrum Health, in particular, officials saw the number of out of 70 COVID-19 hospital patients decline by about 40%, while the number of patients under 40 jumped 54%, reported MLive.com .
“As we see young people hospitalized, we recognize, as does the state, that the more vaccine we get from young people the better, sooner,” said Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan, at the time. out of the press.
Statewide, there are currently 2,424 hospitalized adult patients suspected / confirmed with COVID-19, of which 488 are currently in intensive care, according to the data.
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“It’s definitely a younger demographic in the hospital, certainly a lot of positivity and a lot of concern that what we are seeing now looks suspiciously like what we saw a few months ago,” Elmouchi said, according to MLive.com.
Michigan currently has the worst case rate in the country, with a 7-day average of 361.5 cases per 100,000 population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state is followed by New Jersey, Connecticut and New York.
The state is not expected to open vaccine eligibility to all adults aged 16 and over until April 5, but Spectrum Health has already started allowing everyone to book appointments in line.
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“Our goal is to put as many shots into the guns as possible,” Elmouchi said, according to WOODTV.com.
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