As Delta Variant Spreads, Infectious Disease Doctor Weighs In On Hospitalizations, School Masking

Hospitals in many areas are struggling to cope as the Delta-variant fueled surge in COVID-19 cases continues.

In Houston, several hospitals have created up overflow tents in parking lots; in Florida, the weekly average hospitalizations now top 16,000, a national per-capita record.

And in Alabama, the state's hospital association is reporting "negative 29 ICU beds," which means 29 patients are unable to receive the intensive care needed to save their lives.

Here & Now's Scott Tong checks in with Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, head of the Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the University of Alabama Birmingham, about overflows at ICUs and the issue of school mask mandates.