COVID-19, respiratory illness cases in Frederick County and state rise during holidays

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Frederick County notably increased at the start of December and have remained at about the same level coming into the new year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The overall rate of hospitalizations related to respiratory viruses across the state, including COVID-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), also rose after Thanksgiving and exceeded 10 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents throughout December.