Chattanooga, TN – According to the report, 1 in 5 Coronavirus tests in the state are coming back positive. An area is designated as a virus “hot spot” if the positivity rate exceeds ten percent.
Dr. David Aronoff, Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at VUMC, said:
“What that means is that the burden of disease is going up in the state of Tennessee. And it’s been doing that since October. Cases that were contracted at New Years may not end up in the hospital until the second or third week in January and could be filling hospital beds into February. So, I think we really need to brace ourselves for a very, very busy January.”
There is also a lag between contracting the virus and requiring hospitalization.
Doctors and medical professionals are hoping for a reduction in hospitalizations by the end of February as vaccines are administered, and there are fewer mass gathering opportunities like Christmas and New Years’.