Missouri and Arkansas now lead the nation with the highest weekly case rates per capita. New COVID-19 hospital admissions rose 30% over a two-week span, and front-line workers say patients are becoming sicker more quickly.
First detected in March, the delta variant is now the predominant COVID-19 strain in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Low vaccination rates are having a profound impact on hospitals, particularly in the southwestern part of the state. At Mercy Hospital in Springfield, more patients are currently hospitalized than at any point during the pandemic. More than 88% of patients in the ICU are on ventilators, and the hospital had to request additional machines from other hospitals in its network when it ran out earlier this week.
It's not just Mercy. At Lake Regional Hospital, in the Lake of the Ozarks area, the health system prepared for a surge this week.
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