Coronavirus Updates: California becomes an epicenter, nearly 7,000 in state hospitalized

This week, California became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, which itself is the nation leading in worldwide infection numbers.

California now has more total infections than New York, which had long been seen as the de facto virus hotspot owing to the state’s dense population and economic import. In these latest case updates, California still has more cases than Florida, as well, though that state has seen rising infections in recent weeks.

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that California has outpaced its easterly counterparts by tens of thousands of infections. New York State has seen a total of 410,000 infections, although it has still seen more deaths by far than other states, with 32,000 killed by COVID-19.

Florida’s infections have also inched ahead of New York, after the Sunshine State reported an additional 12,199 infections Saturday.

The California Department of Public Health, meanwhile, has reported 435,000 infections and almost 8,200 deaths across the state, figures that are trending upwards.

In the past two weeks, infections have gone up dramatically. The CDPH reported an increase in confirmed coronavirus cases of 43 percent in 14 days, while deaths have gone up by over 19 percent in the same time.

Those increases have resulted in a greater rate of hospitalization. Nearly 7,000 Californians are being treated in hospitals for confirmed cases of COVID-19, roughly 2,000 of whom are in intensive care units.

In mid-June, which is about when the number of cases in California began to surge again, there were just over 3,300 patients in hospitals and 1,000 patients in ICUs. Statewide hospitalizations have increased by about 110 percent since then.

The state’s single deadliest day was this week, when 157 people were reported dead of COVID-19 by the CDPH on Wednesday. Also this week: a record-setting day for infections, when 12,807 people were confirmed to have tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.

What is COVID-19? How is the coronavirus spread?

Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within 6 feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s possible to catch the disease COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”

Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure.

Most people develop only mild symptoms, but some people develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal. The disease is especially dangerous to the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.

This story was originally published July 25, 2020 at 5:25 PM.