The authors argue that unlike case count (which is a conservative estimate) and death count (which is a delayed and insufficient estimate), hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are a stronger metric for evaluating the effectiveness of stay-at-home measures. The study consisted of four states (Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia) that fit the inclusion criteria of having at least 7 consecutive days of cumulative hospitalization before and 17 days following the stay-at-home date.