According to the Associated Press, the new Covid-19 cases are rising among US seniors along with higher rates of hospitalization and deaths.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the AP “One troubling indicator for seniors: Hospitalizations for people with COVID-19 rose by more than 30% in two weeks. Much of the increase is driven by older people and those with existing health problems. The numbers include everyone testing positive, no matter why they are admitted.”

Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, told AP “When it comes to protecting seniors, we’re doing a terrible job of that in this country.”

Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit nursing homes, also told AP “Clear messages about what the vaccine can do — and what it can’t — are needed. We need to change our messaging to be accurate about what it does, which is prevent serious illness and hospitalization and death,” Sloan said. “This virus is insidious, and it just keeps popping up everywhere. We just need to be real about that.”

Quoting the Department of Health and Human Services, the AP writes “Nationally, the rate of daily hospital admissions for those 70 and older with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 rose from 8.8 per 100,000 people on Nov. 15, to 12.1 per 100,000 people on Dec. 6.” Likewise quoting Dr Topol, AP writes “In California and New York hospitalizations for seniors with COVID-19 have already surpassed those during spring and summer omicron waves.”

According to the AP, the new Covid-19 infections are coming from BQ.1.1 subvariants, which is reportedly adept at escaping immunity. And, “booster rates among seniors are pathetically low, with only about a third getting the shot,” Dr. Topol said.