Covid-19 Hospitalizations Reported in U.S. Hit New High

U.S. hospitals are caring for the highest number of patients with Covid-19 reported during the pandemic, according to federal government data, as the Omicron variant worsens pressures on the already strained facilities.

The U.S. seven-day average reached 140,576 people hospitalized with confirmed and suspected Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, more than the previous high recorded during the surge last winter, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data.

Hospitalization numbers from early in the pandemic aren’t comprehensive enough to show levels from the earliest waves.

The high amount of Omicron circulating in communities is contributing to the number of people testing positive after routine screening, doctors say. It may also be a factor in the seriousness of their conditions.

Among a near-record 514 Covid-19 patients in the Jackson Health System’s Miami-area hospitals Monday, for example, an estimated 54% were admitted mainly for non-Covid reasons, the system said. The rate hit 27% at the peak of the Delta surge in August, the system said.

More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):