Aug 25, 2021 - Health

U.S. COVID hospitalizations top 100,000 for first time since January

Rebecca Falconer

EMS paramedics prepare to transport a COVID-positive woman to a hospital on August 25, 2021 in Houston, Texas. — Paramedics prepare to transport a COVID-19 patient to a hospital in Houston on Wednesday, days after her father died of the virus. Texas' largest city is seeing a major surge of the Delta variant. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

More than 100,000 Americans are now in the hospital with COVID-19.

Why it matters: It's the first time since January that coronavirus infections have surpassed 100,000. Hospitals and state health officials say the spike is driven by unvaccinated adults nationwide.

By the numbers: COVID-19 cases reached 100,517 on Tuesday and declined to 100,059 on Wednesday, according to Department of Health and Human Services data.

These compare to 53,529 cases recorded on Aug. 1, per the Wall Street Journal.

The big picture: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is leaving hospitals across the country inundated, as they face staff shortages and burnout, Axios' Tina Reed notes.

More than 77% of intensive care unit beds are in-use across the U.S., with Arkansas and Alabama officials reporting this week that their states have no spare ICU beds.

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U.S. COVID hospitalizations top 100,000 for first time since January

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