NORFOLK, Va. — As COVID numbers across the country continue to trend in the wrong direction, data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association show hospitalizations steadily rising in Virginia.
As of November 12, confirmed and pending cases rose to more than 1,300, which are numbers not seen since August. Those numbers include both confirmed and pending COVID cases.
This comes days after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced rising hospitalization numbers in the state, as numbers continue to climb nationally as well.
Across Hampton Roads, Dr. Michael Hooper, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Norfolk General Hospital reports that the Sentara system of hospitals in the area has only seen a slight increase.
“I believe at this point we have around 59 in patients with a diagnosis, when we look back at the last couple of months, we’ve had around 50," Dr. Hooper told 13News Now on Thursday.
On a daily basis, Dr. Hooper primarily looks at numbers that reflect how much the coronavirus has spread in the community.
"What I'm looking at is what is positivity rate, community case rate that indicates community spread," Dr. Hooper said.
Positivity rates across the state have also risen, according to Gov. Northam at a news conference on Tuesday.
Dr. Hooper also mentioned the concerning trend that has normally followed rising hospitalization rates, which could include rising death rates.
“When you see case volume and hospitalizations begin to rise, it is fairly inevitable that you will see mortalities rise subsequent to that," Dr. Hooper said.