Florida has highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the nation, CDC says

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Florida currently has the highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the nation. This comes as hospitalization rates rise across the country.

As of Monday, 43 of Florida’s 67 counties reported moderate levels of weekly new hospital admissions for COVID-19 — a higher proportion than any other state in the U.S., according to ABC News.

Dr. Dushyantha Jayaweera is an infectious diseases expert at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.

“People come for something else, then they test positive for COVID”

Cases he’s seen are much less severe than earlier waves of COVID. As for why the numbers are so high in Florida?

“It’s not just the travelers, people coming from — I’d say people getting together a lot. I think it’s the close contact.”

Governor DeSantis’s administration advised against those under 65 getting a new COVID-19 booster. This goes against the CDC’s recommendation that everyone 6 months and older should get the booster.

But Dr. Jayaweera says he will be getting the booster.

“Listen to scientific evidence. You have to go by science.”