Florida is reporting a record number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations as the delta variant spreads rapidly during the state's summer tourist season, Bloomberg reported July 28.
Average daily hospitalizations among adults ages 18-39 have increased about 150 percent in the past two weeks, according to HHS data cited by Bloomberg.
On July 25, the state reported 1,288 new admissions for confirmed COVID-19 cases, surpassing the previous record for single-day admissions set in January. The current jump in hospitalizations has played out about three times faster than last winter, which points to delta's infectiousness, Bloomberg said.
Sergio Segarra, MD, vice president of medical affairs and CMO at Baptist Hospital of Miami, said the hospital has never been as busy during the pandemic as it is now, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases alongside the return of normal hospital traffic.
"I don't know how long before it becomes an ICU issue where all of the ICU beds are filled and we need even more people," he told Bloomberg.
As of July 28, patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections filled 1,827 of the state's 6,558 available ICU beds, HHS data shows.
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