COVID Hospitalizations Continue to Rise , Despite Overall Cases Remaining Low.br ABC reports that the Centers for Disease Control and br Prevention (CDC) has warned that hospitalizations due br to COVID-19 continue to increase in the United States.br As of the week ending August 5, br the number of hospitalizations br increased 14.3 from 9,026 to 10,320.br ABC reports that despite the double-digit br percentage jump, the absolute number br of hospitalizations remains quite low.br In January 2022, amid a surge br of the Omicron variant, weekly br hospitalizations peaked at 150,674.br We have to remember that we're still br dealing with numbers that are far less br than what we've seen for the pandemic, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation br officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.br We have to zoom out to look at our br experience for the entire pandemic, br to understand that what we're dealing br with now is far from any crisis that br we've experienced with previous waves, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation br officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.br ABC reports that deaths from COVID br also increased slightly in July.br Proportionately, it makes sense that br when you have increased transmission, br you will see proportionately some br increase in hospitalizations, and you br will see some increase in deaths, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation br officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.br But there's a decoupling that is happening br between cases and hospitalizations, where br a jump in cases doesn't necessarily mean br as big a jump in hospitalizations and deaths, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation br officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.br ABC reports that all subvariants br currently in circulation are related br to XBB, an offshoot of Omicron. .br According to the CDC, the latest EG.5 variant now br makes up approximately 17 of all new cases.