COVID-19-related hospitalizations have risen across the state, serving as a reminder to health officials and residents alike that the pandemic has not disappeared.
As the pandemic waned this spring, there were only about 15 to 25 hospitalized COVID-19 patients on any given day. But for the past two weeks, that number has risen to around 40 to 60 a day.
Kim Deti, spokesperson for the Wyoming Department of Health, said she doesn't have a full explanation for why hospitalizations have gone up, but the rise is concerning.
"COVID has not gone away," Deti said. "COVID-19 is still continuing as a presence in our state. The pandemic is not over."
But she said there's a very good way to avoid being hospitalized yourself.
"The vast majority of cases are among people who have not yet been fully vaccinated," Deti said. "So, we just are going to keep encouraging people to take advantage of this great resource. These vaccines are doing a wonderful job."
Deti said getting a vaccine reduces an individual's chances of catching the virus, and protects them against the most severe symptoms, the ones that lead to hospitalization and death.
In Wyoming, COVID-19 vaccines are both plentiful and free, and open to all residents aged 12 and older. Deti added there are resources on the Department of Health's website, answering questions one might have about the vaccine, its safety or its effectiveness.
"Because it's normal to have questions," Deti said. "We’ve worked hard, as well as the CDC, to provide information we think could be helpful."
COVID hospitalizations hit an all-time high at the end of November of 2020 with 247 amid a spike in cases across Wyoming.