IOWA CITY, Iowa — Tuesday, Iowa hit yet another new peak in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 501 current COVID-19-related hospitalizations throughout the state, up 21 from where the state was at Monday morning.
This makes the seventh new record high amount of hospitalizations set in October alone.
Prior to this month, the last record was set in May, which the state blamed on manufacturing facilities and long-term care centers.
As the graph shows, there was a significant dip in hospitalizations starting in late May, and were at their lowest point at the end of June.
Since then, though, the numbers have continued to mostly trend up, with October reaching unprecedented amounts.
So why the spike? One doctor says things could be better if the pandemic was taken more seriously in general.
"The public health response to COVID-19 is somewhat downplayed," Dr. Jorge Salinas of the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics said. "It's not at the front of our minds, and we are seeing the results."
At the forefront of that, Salinas says, is the leadership.
"Our leaders need to start acting more aggressively," Salinas said. "Nobody is saying you have to shut down the entire state. you can do it safely. you can still socialize but more safely."
With the weather turning colder, Salinas says this has got to get under control quickly, or it's going to get worse.
"Winter is approaching. We are going to have to be indoors breathing the same air," Salinas said. "That is going to make things worse."