COVID Hospitalization Rates See an Uptick As Winter Looms — The Kiplinger Letter
The elderly are still at risk of COVID hospitalization, despite a new Omicron booster and winter is right around the corner.
COVID-19 hospitalization rates continue to rise as the U.S. prepares another round of boosters. To help you understand what is going on in the healthcare sector and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…
An uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations should not concern most people. But it’s increasingly a worry for the elderly. Since the pandemic has eased, the number of cases that wind up in the hospital is the best way to gauge the severity of what is left.
On July 5, 2023, the daily COVID-19 hospitalization rate hit its lowest level: 0.6 per 100,000 cases. By Sep. 2, it had ticked up to 1.3, a daily increase of 2,300. The trend is more pronounced for those over age 70, whose hospitalization rate has more than doubled to 6.3. COVID deaths have not yet risen but will likely follow suit.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The true test of the pandemic’s resilience will be this winter when people are indoors together much of the time. Except for those over the age of 70, chances are that any mini-surge in infections will be only a nuisance. The Omicron variant that has pushed out other iterations of the virus has proved much less deadly.
A new booster targeting the latest versions of Omicron will be available in late September or early October and should be taken at least five months after the last bivalent booster.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
David is both staff economist and reporter for The Kiplinger Letter, overseeing Kiplinger forecasts for the U.S. and world economies. Previously, he was senior principal economist in the Center for Forecasting and Modeling at IHS/GlobalInsight, and an economist in the Chief Economist's Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce. David has co-written weekly reports on economic conditions since 1992, and has forecasted GDP and its components since 1995, beating the Blue Chip Indicators forecasts two-thirds of the time. David is a Certified Business Economist as recognized by the National Association for Business Economics. He has two master's degrees and is ABD in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Close Mixed Amid War Angst, Nvidia Anxiety
Markets went into risk-off mode amid rising geopolitical tensions and high anxiety ahead of bellwether Nvidia's earnings report.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
What the Comcast Cable Spinoff Means for Investors
Comcast has announced plans to spin off select cable networks and digital assets into a separate publicly traded company. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Aging in Place Will Be Big Business for Home Builders
The Kiplinger Letter Many people will be looking to make their homes aging-friendly in the years to come.
By David Payne Published
-
Five Ways to Fund Medicare Part A
The Tax Letter Higher taxes can help stave off the projected 2036 insolvency of Medicare's Hospital Insurance trust fund.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
QCDs Are a Tax-Smart Way for Retirees To Donate to Charity
The Tax Letter With QCDs, retirees can save on taxes by making donations from their IRAs directly to charity. Here's what you need to know about qualified charitable distributions.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Tax Tips for Transferring Excess 529 Plan Funds to Roth IRAs: The Tax Letter
The Tax Letter 529 plans can help blunt the cost of paying for college. But if you want to use leftover funds there are some tax tips to bear in mind.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
How to Report QCDs on Your Tax Return: The Tax Letter
The Tax Letter Qualified charitable distributions, otherwise known as QCDs, can be tricky when it comes to tax reporting. We've got some pointers to help with filing.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
What to Know Before Splitting 401(k) Assets in a Divorce: The Tax Letter
The Tax Letter Splitting 401(k) assets in a divorce can lead to unintended tax consequences, there are ways to avoid financial penalties.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
IRA Rollover Rules: What You Need to Know
Tax Letter Three important IRA rollover rules to remember. As always, getting taxes wrong can be costly.
By Joy Taylor Published
-
Retirement Savings Changes for 2024
Tax Letter Some of the SECURE 2.0 retirement savings provisions kicked in this year. Others are still to come. Here's what you should know.
By Joy Taylor Published