The sentence is a headline in NYtimes:
"In the U.S. cities that had some of the earliest Omicron surges, I.C.U. stays and deaths are following case curves upward."
My brain is having difficulty in connectiong the word "upward" that what is previously said,
whether it is like:
"I.C.U. stays and deaths are DRIVING ([case curves] upward)
"I.C.U. stays and deaths are matching case curves THAT IS upward