The number of people with COVID in Michigan hospitals is once again rising.
Through three waves of the pandemic, a pattern emerged: A sharp rise in cases, followed by a sharp rise in hospitalizations. Then both went down.
But in the wave of COVID cases that started last fall, the pattern broke. Hospitals saw a slow and steady rise in cases since the summer, then a rapid increase in November and only slight decline in the number of COVID patients in December.
As of Monday, the number of COVID patients started rising again in Michigan. The state reports 3,903 adult patients in hospitals with a confirmed COVID test, up about seven percent over last week.
The state also confirmed an average of more than 12 thousand new cases of COVID per day since last Thursday.