As the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to take hold, more patients infected with the virus are requiring intensive care treatment in local hospitals.
According to the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, about 450 COVID patients were hospitalized in North Texas on Thursday. That is roughly 120 more from levels seen in mid-May.
Thanks in part to Delta, now the dominant strain in the U.S., officials say more infected individuals seem to be sicker and younger.
DFW Hospital Council President/CEO Stephen Love told KRLD's Chris Sommer that COVID-19 cases now make up about 2% of the overall patient population, but the number jumps over 10% in ICUs across the region.
He also pointed out the more contagious nature of the Delta variant. According to experts, an individual infected with the original strain of COVID-19 would infect 2-2.5 other people on average. The latest information indicates someone with the Delta strain will infect at least five others.
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