Even With COVID Hospitalizations Declining, Tennessee Deaths Keep Climbing

COVID cases and hospitalizations have been declining for weeks in Tennessee, but fatalities still haven’t reached a peak. The younger age of victims likely explains why.

During previous surges in Tennessee, fatalities started dropping about two weeks after hospitalizations peak. Now it’s been three weeks.

The difference at this point is that the mostly unvaccinated patients who are dying have a much lower average age than in prior periods of the pandemic. 

“Patients who are younger tend to have longer lengths of stay in the ICU. And if they are going to pass away, it’s often more delayed than with older people,” says Dr. Lisa Piercey, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health.

On Tuesday, the state reported more than 100 new COVID deaths, surpassing more than 15,000 throughout the pandemic. 

The long stays in the ICU — even for those who survive — also explain why hospital capacity has been a larger concern than earlier in the pandemic.