MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama on Wednesday reached more than 1,000 cases of the coronavirus, with 17 confirmed deaths from the virus.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said that 26 deaths have been reported in COVID-19 patients, and the state has so far confirmed that 17 of those were caused by the respiratory illness.
The total number of COVID-19 infections on Wednesday was just over 1,000.
State Health Officer Scott Harris last week estimated that 10% or more of the cases in Alabama have required the person to be hospitalized. The University of Alabama at Birmingham said Tuesday that it had 52 COVID-19 patients in the hospital. East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika said Monday that it had 20 COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the overwhelming majority of people recover. But severe cases can need respirators to survive, and with infections spreading exponentially, hospitals across the country are either bracing for a coming wave of patients, or already struggling to keep up.