Younger, Sicker, Quicker: The Changing Face of the U.S. Pandemic

Doctors and nurses in Missouri, where the delta virus variant has been causing Covid-19 cases to soar, are seeing patients who are younger and seem to be worsening faster than ever before.

“I don’t remember anyone declining within 24 hours, until now,” said Rachel Keech, a physician with Missouri’s Mercy health system who specializes in caring for hospitalized patients. “Patients are coming to the hospital sooner. They’re requiring higher levels of oxygen faster. And then maximizing out on what hospitalists can do, and needing to go to the ICU faster.”

U.S. Covid deaths still remain far below last year’s ...