CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases is leading to more people in hospitals and intensive care units.
Hospitalizations in both North and South Carolina continue to reach levels last seen at the height of the pandemic in January. As of Wednesday, 3757 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in North Carolina. In South Carolina, that number sits at 2340.
Emergency Departments are feeling the pressure. Wait times are getting longer and some patients are having to wait in the hallways for a bed upstairs.
Novant Health said over 90% of the patients admitted are unvaccinated. Since vaccination rates are highest among people 65 and older, with 86% of North Carolinians in that age group fully vaccinated, they're seeing more younger people needing intensive care.
Below is a map of hospital capacity across counties in the Carolinas. The map also enables you to see how many patients in hospitals are battling COVID-19. This data is from Aug. 20 to Aug. 26.
Novant Health is also seeing an increase in patients in the children's emergency department. They haven't gotten to the point of canceling other, non-emergent surgeries and they still have the capacity to surge and add more beds.
Below are the latest COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations in both North and South Carolina.