The expected holiday COVID-19 spike is here

Gets better.

Covid-19 hospitalizations are at an all time high across north alabama with the huntsville hospital health system surpassing 500 inpatients for the very first time.

Waay-31's bridget divers spoke with a huntsville hospital infectious disease expert today about what we should expect to see in the coming weeks.

Bridget?

Dan, najahe -- i spoke with dr. ali hassoun today -- he said he's not surpised that there are over five hundred inpatients in the huntsville hospital health system.

He actually expected an increase.

Dr. ali hassoun "the holidays from thanksgiving to christmas and new year and unfortunately there's significant number of people still did not follow the guidelines and the rules."

Holiday gatherings over the past month have caused covid cases to rise.

And dr. hassoun is confident the increase in cases will continue over the next several weeks.

"after this major last holiday of new year it's probably another two to three weeks.

We're going to see a continuous increase in the number of cases."

He hopes that after the next several weeks - the number of cases will start to trend back down..

"we always keep hoping the community will try to come back and follow the guideline and do as much as they can."

But there is another big concern for doctors that could keep the numbers high into spring: the mutant virus that has appeared in multiple countries.

"much more easily transmissible between patients.

So, we might continue to see that increase rise until february or march unfortunately."

Dr. hassoun says it's important that people get the vaccine -- when they have the opportunity to do so.

"because that's how we're going to be able to control."

Now the most common way of transmitting the virus is through close contact, closed spaces, and people not wearing their masks.

Health officials tell us - these are things we should keep doing to stop the spread of the virus.

Live outside huntsville hospital, bridget divers, waay-31