COVID-19 hospitalizations are going up across Alabama. The number of people admitted with the virus have now tripled since last month. UAB now reports that 85% of the samples from cases taken since July 12th in Alabama were found to be the delta variant. Dr. David Kimberlin is an expert on pediatric infectious diseases at UAB. He says it’s important to listen to health experts and be on guard against misinformation.
“Back in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, we had editors that filtered information and made sure that it was accurate,” said Kimberlin. “Now we have to be our own editors because you can pretty well find anything on the Internet, or perhaps on Facebook feeds and so forth.”
Health care providers say the concern over the new delta variant of COVID-19 is that it spread more easily. The situation is coming so serious, that the chief physician at the U.S. Capitol is considering re-imposing a recommendation that lawmakers and staffers wear masks. UAB’s Dr. Kimberlin says the result in Alabama is more people are in hospital beds.
“We have increased hospitalizations in Alabama,” says Kimberlin. “And we know that the delta variant can spread more. It definitely does spread more quickly and more easily, more readily than the viruses that were the covid causes of covid that it's sort of replacing or displacing right now.”
Alabama has the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents in the nation at 33% percent. The percentage of Alabamians who have received at least one dose is now at 41%.
