"Devastating Impact: New Covid Variant Causes 75% Surge in Deaths in US State"

Kentucky has seen a 75 percent increase in Covid-19 deaths, with the virus causing 9.6 percent of overall deaths in the state last week. Similar rises in death rates are being observed in other states, prompting the CDC to urge vaccination against respiratory illnesses and cautioning that the first vaccines may not be effective against new virus strains. Hospitalizations from Covid and influenza are on the rise, leading to renewed attention to Covid guidelines, despite case levels remaining below the 2022 peak.