5 States Where Working-Age COVID-19 Hospitalizations Are Surging

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations for U.S. residents ages 18 through 59 has increased 28.7% in the past week, to 11,969, according to a comparison of federal government Community Profile Report tables posted Tuesday with tables posted a week earlier. The working-age resident hospitalization rate increased 21.2% in the typical state. For a look at the five states with the biggest percentage increases in the number of pandemic-related hospitalizations of people in the 18-to-59 age group, see the gallery above. For data on all 50 states and the District of Columbia, see the table below.

What It Means

Similar tables showed the U.S. working-age hospitalization count increasing 12% between the week ending June 21 and the week ending June 28. The new, higher increase could be the result of statistical fluctuations related to the Independence Day holiday, but it could also indicate a real increase in the number of working-age people going to the hospital with serious cases of COVID-19. A new surge in COVID-19 could lead to unexpected medical expenses for clients and unwanted time without wages for others. It could also throw off mortality and longevity projections for retirement planning clients.

The Context

The latest counts of hospitalizations by age group are from the week ending July 10. For all U.S. residents, the hospitalization count increased 28.3% between the week ending July 3 and the week ending July 10 increased 28.3%, to 39,413. For people ages 18 through 59, the week-over-week change in the count ranged from a decrease of 21.2%, in New Mexico, up to an increase of 267% in one state in the upper Midwest. A 267% increase means that the hardest-hit state had more than three times as many patients entering the hospital with confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the week ending Sunday as it had during the previous week.

New Hospital Admissions for COVID-19 Patients Ages 18-59

	Week Ending
x	July 10	July 3	Change
Alabama	172	142	21.1%
Alaska	29	23	26.1%
Arizona	261	191	36.6%
Arkansas	119	70	70.0%
California	1,652	1,185	39.4%
Colorado	271	169	60.4%
Connecticut	124	68	82.4%
Delaware	29	28	3.6%
District of Columbia	49	44	11.4%
Florida	1,351	1,169	15.6%
Georgia	379	375	1.1%
Hawaii	52	43	20.9%
Idaho	85	60	41.7%
Illinois	462	414	11.6%
Indiana	176	146	20.5%
Iowa	67	61	9.8%
Kansas	74	64	15.6%
Kentucky	182	153	19.0%
Louisiana	287	186	54.3%
Maine	16	19	-15.8%
Maryland	162	136	19.1%
Massachusetts	179	174	2.9%
Michigan	203	175	16.0%
Minnesota	148	102	45.1%
Mississippi	104	75	38.7%
Missouri	248	166	49.4%
Montana	73	55	32.7%
Nebraska	54	48	12.5%
Nevada	142	104	36.5%
New Hampshire	21	19	10.5%
New Jersey	296	291	1.7%
New Mexico	67	85	-21.2%
New York	675	528	27.8%
North Carolina	281	145	93.8%
North Dakota	33	9	266.7%
Ohio	334	272	22.8%
Oklahoma	151	94	60.6%
Oregon	152	141	7.8%
Pennsylvania	299	268	11.6%
Puerto Rico	39	45	-13.3%
Rhode Island	9	7	28.6%
South Carolina	170	116	46.6%
South Dakota	24	25	-4.0%
Tennessee	180	140	28.6%
Texas	1,211	732	65.4%
Utah	137	115	19.1%
Vermont	13	12	8.3%
Virginia	222	183	21.3%
Washington	272	268	1.5%
West Virginia	82	57	43.9%
Wisconsin	139	96	44.8%
Wyoming	12	7	71.4%
TOTAL	11,969	9,300	28.7%
MEDIAN			21.2%

(Image: iStock)