COVID hospital admissions boom in Florida, but intensive care units aren't so full

COVID-19 is hitting Florida’s hospitals harder this winter compared with last year, but these cases seem less severe, thanks in part to immunity.

COVID-positive patient counts in medical facilities statewide are about 33% higher compared with a year ago, data released Friday by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department shows. But the number of people in intensive care units is about 36% less.

Hospitals statewide that reported to the federal government counted 1,591 COVID-positive patients Friday, compared to 1,195 on Dec. 16, 2021.

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ICUs tallied 176 patients, down from 276 last year.

Current total hospitalizations since mid-November have been higher compared with 12 months ago. COVID patient tallies in ICUs have been lower since July.

First time hospitalizations, ICUs counts aren't on the same track

It’s the first time a divergence of ICU and total hospitalization counts has been seen during the pandemic. Palm Beach County’s top health official suggests this means that, unlike last year, current infections are less severe.

“You could possibly attribute that to the fact that we have the majority of the population vaccinated or already exposed to COVID,” said Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the state-run Palm Beach County Department of Health.

New coronavirus mutations that can better beat immunity granted by the original COVID vaccines are fueling the latest wave of infections statewide and nationwide. The BQ and BF strains of the virus’ omicron variant dominate the latest COVID wave statewide and nationwide.

Most people have been inoculated with the original COVID vaccines released in 2020 that were built for the original virus first discovered in Wuhan, China.

The latest mutations look very different from the first strain, but the latest Pfizer and Moderna shots, federally approved in late August, are built for omicron subvariants.

Latest booster shot protects against omicron subvariants spreading now

And the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two studies Friday showing that the latest booster can better protect against current viral strains.

The first study, which analyzed 798 elderly people ages 65 and older, found that the latest vaccines were 84% effective in preventing hospitalizations among seniors compared with the unvaccinated; and 73% effective compared with those who had gotten at least two shots.

Elderly people who were up to date on their shots composed just 5% of COVID-positive patients across a network of hospitals studied, including the University of Miami’s. The second study, which analyzed more than 78,000 adult emergency room patients with COVID-like illness, found similar results. Adults up to date on their shots comprised just 2.7% of those who tested positive.

Elderly people are most susceptible to the disease’s worst effects. But vaccination rates among seniors in Florida lag behind most of the nation.

Just 25% of Florida seniors are up to date on their shots, tied with Georgia for fifth-lowest state in the nation, the CDC reported Friday. About 36% of Americans 65 and older have gotten the updated booster.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who initially launched a "Seniors First" campaign during the early vaccination rollout to reduce COVID deaths, has since gone on a tear against inoculation.

His latest attack on the vaccines came Tuesday, when he announced that he would ask the state Supreme Court to create a grand jury to investigate "crimes and wrongdoing committed against Floridians related to the COVID-19 vaccine.” DeSantis also said he is forming a "public health integrity committee" to push back against federal health authorities.

COVID has killed more seniors in Florida than any other state since the free vaccines became readily available to all adults in April 2021. Health experts and loved ones of the victims have blamed DeSantis’ anti-vaccine actions for the state’s high death toll.

The respiratory disease has infected about 21,000 a week on average over the past two weeks, a comparison of Florida Department of Health figures from Friday and Dec. 2 show. That’s the highest weekly average since Sept. 9. The state releases its COVID report every other week.

And weeks after the latest COVID surge began, deaths appear to be creeping up at a faster pace. State health officials logged an average of 203 deaths weekly since Dec. 2, the highest level since Oct. 21, reversing a nearly two-month decline in new fatalities.

COVID has killed at least 83,606 Floridians and infected more than 7.2 million, or about a third of the population.

Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's data reporter. Email him at cpersaud@pbpost.com. Click @ChrisMPersaud and follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida COVID hospitalizations spiking but cases aren't so severe