CDPHE anticipates 2,000 additional COVID-19 deaths by the end of the year
DENVER (KRDO) -- For the first time since Thanksgiving, the Colorado Department of Public Health gave an update regarding recent COVID-19 trends in Colorado, and officials say they're going in the wrong direction.
Colorado's state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy and Dr. Jon Samet, the dean of the Colorado School of Public Health both gave a grim outlook for what Coloradans will go through by the end of the month.
Dr. Samet saying by the end of the year, they anticipate Colorado will see an additional 2,000 deaths. Surprisingly, that number is actually the state's best-case scenario and will only happen if people 80% of the population wears masks, social distance, and avoid gatherings.
The worst-case scenario predicts deaths will double to more than 7,000 if only 60 percent of the population follows guidelines and if more people travel for the upcoming holidays.
“These projections I know are startlingly high and we hope they are not played out,” Dr. Samet says.
Current models also show ICU beds will be filled by the end of the year as well. Dr. Herlihy says the problem hospitals are running into now is COVID-19 patients coming into the hospital are outpacing those who have recovered.
"Meaning more people are still coming into the hospital than leaving the hospital after recovering from COVID-19,” Dr. Herlihy explains.
CDPHE once again asking residents to stay home for the holidays and cancel any gatherings they might have. At this time the state is still working on case numbers and hospitalizations from Thanksgiving weekend.
