Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More States Slammed By Record COVID Hospitalizations
Americans went to the polls Tuesday under the shadow of a resurging pandemic, with an alarming increase in cases nationwide and the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 reaching record highs in a growing number of states. While daily infections were rising in all but three states, the surge was most pronounced in the Midwest and Southwest. Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota and New Mexico all reported record high hospitalizations this week. Nebraska’s largest hospitals started limiting elective surgeries and looked to bring in nurses from other states to cope with the surge. Hospital officials in Iowa and Missouri warned bed capacity could soon be overwhelmed. (Olson, 11/4)
The number of coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals breached 50,000 on Tuesday, the highest level in nearly three months, as a surge in infections threatens to push the nation’s health care system to the edge of capacity. Texas reported the highest number of currently hospitalized patients with 5,936, followed by Illinois with 3,594 and California with 3,270 patients, according to a Reuters tally. While California has three times as many people as Illinois, new cases have been the highest per capita in the Midwest. (Abraham and B, 11/3)
The US recorded 91,530 new Covid-19 infections on the day many Americans cast their ballots, adding to a series of staggering case numbers reported within just the past week. The country's five highest days of coronavirus cases have all been recorded since October 29, affirming experts' warnings another surge is well on its way and will only get worse. (Maxouris, 11/4)
New Jersey and Utah try to cope with a surge in cases —
New Jersey reported more than 1,800 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, marking 17 straight days of more than 1,000 new cases as the state battles a fall resurgence of COVID-19. According to the state dashboard, hospitals reported 1,133 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases as of Nov. 2, the highest in four months. (Weixel, 11/3)
Coronavirus hospitalizations blew past previous record highs on Tuesday, with 366 Utahns currently hospitalized and 1,669 new diagnoses statewide. Nearly 500 Utahns have been admitted to hospitals in the past week alone — a record high. In total, 5,665 patients have been hospitalized in Utah for COVID-19, up a record 89 from the day before. (Alberty, 11/3)
