Do we know what percentage of people require hospitalization after testing positive for Covid?

I'm just curious of the likelihood of needing hospital treatment in the event that me or a family member contract it.

I saw a blip on the news this morning that said ~10% are testing positive for covid and of that 10%, ~8% are hospitalized.

8-10% of cases, but skewed toward people with risk factors or higher age.

Another big question is around the lack of tracking and reporting on COVID-19 positive patients who are hospitalized because of COVID-19 versus patients who are admitted for other reasons - heart attack, GI issues, injuries from an accident but also test positive for COVID-19. They are all counted as COVID-19 hospitalizations. That doesn't change the fact that a used hospital bed is a used hospital bed - but it changes the narrative around how much the case surge is driving capacity issues.

texan12 said:

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Did we add more icu beds since March? I sure hope so...

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I hope so too, but it's not just beds. Some ICUs have open beds, or the ability to add more, but they're lacking on staffing. Just don't have enough critical care nurses. Doctors, fellows, and residents are getting pulled from other areas to assist in managing the load.

What determines if a person need hospitalization? i have a feeling that because there is available bed space there are people in the hospital that really don't need it and may get kicked out if they legit need those beds.

Fewer than 4% of adults in their 20s with COVID-19 have been hospitalized, compared with 22% of those in their 60s, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 1 in 1,000 COVID-19 patients in their 20s die from the virus.

1939 said:

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What determines if a person need hospitalization? i have a feeling that because there is available bed space there are people in the hospital that really don't need it and may get kicked out if they legit need those beds.

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Can be a multitude of things. Most common would likely be a need for supplemental oxygen. Even if they don't need to be intubated and put on a vent, it's hard to scrounge up a bunch of bottles of oxygen or oxygen concentrators to start handing out to people.

Every hospital has different parameters for what constitutes ICU level care. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're sicker or closer to death, just that they need more frequent monitoring and possible intervention. Nursing ratio in the ICU is typically 2 patients per 1 nurse. On a regular medical floor it is typically closer to 4 or 5 patients per nurse.