Study predicts 2,000 COVID daily cases, up to 1,250 hospitalizations in Tarrant County
A recent study by UT Southwestern Medical Center predicts Tarrant County will be reporting 2,000 new COVID-19 cases every day by Dec. 8.
The study also projects the county will have up to 1,250 concurrent hospitalized coronavirus patients by next week. The county reported a pandemic high 896 hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Tuesday.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased by 48% over the past two weeks, according to the study, which looked at the four major counties in North Texas, including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton.
Test positivity rates, which had been falling since a July peak, are rising again, according to the study. Researchers found that cases rates are rising among all age groups, including a “disproportionate increase in the 75+ age groups, in which rates of severe disease are much higher.”
Hospitalizations in North Texas have surpassed the previous peak levels in July. The average volume for the past week was 73% higher than one month ago, the study says, and continued increases are expected over the next two weeks.
UT Southwestern concludes that continued compliance with physical distancing, masking, hand hygiene, and crowd management are “especially needed to ensure healthcare capacity remains available.”
The study notes that infected people arriving at the “hospital today were likely infected two weeks ago.”
“Our collective actions now are critical to changing the course of the outbreak in North Texas,” the study concludes.
UT Southwestern has released multiple studies since the pandemic began and has correctly projected increased infections and community spread.
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 4:55 PM.
