These 5 States are the Only Ones Where COVID is Going Up

Despite COVID cases going down in most states, now is no time to let your guard down, warns  Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to the President and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Because in fact, you can catch COVID anywhere—and five states actually have cases going up. Read on to see which states are on the list—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

“Over the last month is when Dr. Bradley Holbrook, who cares for pregnant women and delivers babies at Community Medical Center in Missoula, has seen the ‘worst, scariest outcomes’ for pregnant Montana women who contract COVID-19,” writes the Montana Standard. “We’ve had more overall women (test positive for COVID-19) and also seen more adverse outcomes as far as stillbirths and early deliveries,” Holbrook, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, told the Standard. “There have been cases in which mom was extremely sick and we had to do an emergency cesarean to deliver the fetus right away.”

“Colorado public health officials raised concerns Friday that the number of new COVID-19 cases across the state has stopped falling, while hospitalizations of people with the virus rose over the past week following a steady decline that began in mid-September,” reports the Denver Post. Meanwhile: “A large hospital system in Colorado says people on its organ transplant waitlist won’t be offered an organ if they refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine, citing the ‘significant risk the virus poses to transplant recipients,'” reports NPR.

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“Minnesota’s current COVID-19 surge remains stuck — in a bad way — at or near highs for 2021 with the disease entrenched and spreading now in every county,” reports MPR. “Friday’s data showed the slow upward grind of cases, ICU needs and deaths continuing a day after state hospital leaders warned that Minnesota’s care system is stressed, short-staffed and struggling to meet the needs of rapidly rising numbers of COVID-19 and other patients.”

“Michigan reported 8,413 new cases of COVID-19 and 83 virus-related deaths Friday — an average of 4,206.5 cases over the past two days. More than 80 Michiganders died due to COVID over the same time period,” according to Click on Detroit. “As COVID numbers continue to rise in Michigan, it turns out there’s a new frontline. According to a new study, schools are by far the top spreader of the virus.” “Until vaccines are approved for that age group, it’s going to continue to be a problem,” said Dr. Mark Navin, professor of bioethics at Oakland University. “Masks are still necessary.”

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“The proportion of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations among vaccinated Pennsylvania residents rose sharply last month, reflecting the fact that a higher percentage of the population has now gotten the shot but also likely that protection has waned somewhat, state health officials said Friday,” reports WTAE. “The latest Department of Health data on so-called ‘breakthrough’ infections shows that between Sept. 5 and Oct. 4, vaccinated people represented just over a quarter – 26% – of more than 135,000 new infections and nearly 5,000 hospital admissions across the state. Death statistics for the last 30 days were not available because of lags in reporting and verification.”

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Follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—get vaccinated ASAP; if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.