INDIANAPOLIS, IN — State health officials are warning Hoosiers that the COVID-19 delta variant surge could get worse in the near future.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver have given their first briefing since late last month on the heels of Indiana becoming mired in a growing coronavirus surge, which is threatening to overwhelm hospitals around the state.
Dr. Box says most hospitalizations around the state involve older people, but that Indiana is seeing a growing number of children being hospitalized.
The delta variant is being blamed for 98 percent of new cases the state has seen in recent weeks.
“The next two to four weeks, maybe even as long as six weeks, things are going to get worse if Hoosiers do not start wearing masks to prevent transmission and more Hoosiers do not get vaccinated,” Dr. Box said. She expects cases and hospitalizations to continue to spike through the upcoming Labor Day holiday.
Dr. Weaver said hospitals around the state are hunkering down and preparing for the worst.
“I think we are fully expecting and preparing that things are going to get much worse with our hospitalizations over the next four weeks,” said Dr. Weaver.
