New Jersey’s number of COVID-19 cases will peak on April 8 with 9,560 people needing hospital beds on that day, according predictions from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics.
The same analysis is predicting that the peak for all of the United States will reach 262,000 people needing beds and will occur on April 15.
The information was released in the form of an interactive chart online (go to the green banner near the top of the post and click on the drop down menu to access data from different states).
Not surprisingly, the predictions could fall within a wide range. New Jersey, for instance, could peak as early as tomorrow and as late as April 10 with anywhere from 6,189 to 12,982 cases that need hospital beds. The predictions are also being updated regularly.
According to a post on The Hill, the institute’s analysis has not been peer reviewed, making it what’s known as a “preprint.” Usually, such studies are not released until the review is complete, but the institute made an exception in this case.
As The Hill explained, the models were developed at the request of colleagues at the university’s school of medicine, and other hospital systems soon followed.
“Ultimately, these forecasts were developed to provide hospitals, healthcare workers, policymakers, and the public with crucial information about what demands COVID-19 may place on hospital capacity and resources, so that they could begin to plan,” the institute told The Hill.
