Explosion of COVID cases and hospitalizations in Florida

Florida has become the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States because cases and hospitalizations continue to increase in this state where nearly half of the population is not vaccinated.

Over the past week, cases of COVID-19 have spread in the southeastern United States. Florida has the highest number of infections, with more than 110,720 cases in just seven days, including 21,683 cases in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

for d^NS Julian Kavanagh, a doctor in the United States, the epidemic is once again out of control.

“In about a week, we went from 75,000 to 80,000 cases per day, and I’m afraid it’s at that rate. […] Once again we’re hitting 150,000-200,000 cases per day in the coming weeks.”

According to the doctor from Massachusetts General Hospital, strong infection of the delta variant is the main culprit for this new mutation.

Unvaccinated patients

In addition to the number of cases, the number of hospitalizations is rising sharply in this region as well. More than 8,200 people are currently in the hospital, according to a statement from the Florida Hospital Association.

“95% of patients are not fully vaccinated,” one of them says in the document published on July 28.

Mayhew, president and CEO of the association, said Mary C.

Currently, only 57% of Florida residents have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 49% the second.

Here, vaccination is a topic that sparks a lot of fire. It’s a bit like politics or taking up arms, it’s a topic we don’t talk about among friends, but rather avoid. “There are really two camps,” says Marie Poupart, a journalist from Quebec who lives in Florida.

double talk

according to m^I Poupart, the Republican Governor of Florida, Ron Destantis, makes the instructions very confusing.

“The governor is against wearing a mask, he’s not in favor of vaccination, but he says to go get vaccinated because it saves lives,” she says.

The governor also just signed a new ordinance to prevent school boards from requiring children under 12 to wear face coverings, even though the Centers for Disease Control recommends doing so.

M . adds^I Popart.

see also