- The new year is starting with a massive influx of Covid-19 that’s different from any other during this pandemic, doctors say.
- “It appears to be more of an upper airway disease than a lower airway disease.
- In Georgia, at least five large Atlanta-area school districts will be starting class remotely this week.
According to doctors, the new year has begun with a tremendous infusion of Covid-19, unlike any previous time throughout the pandemic as reported by CNN.
Pandemic
“We’re seeing a surge in patients again, unprecedented in this pandemic,” said Dr James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital.
“What’s coming for the rest of the country could be very serious.”
Even health care workers are getting sidelined during the rapid rise of the Omicron variant, the most contagious strain of novel coronavirus to hit the US.
“This strain is so infectious that I think all of us know many, many colleagues who are currently infected or have symptoms and are under quarantine,” said Choo, associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University.
“We’ve lost at least 20% of our health care workforce — probably more.”
Security with Omicron?
Early studies suggest the Omicron variant may cause less severe disease than the Delta variant, which still makes up a considerable portion of US Covid-19 cases.
But because Omicron is much more contagious, the raw number of Covid-19 hospitalizations could get worse, Dr Anthony Fauci said.
“When you have so many, many cases, even if the rate of hospitalization is lower with Omicron than it is with Delta, there’s still the danger that you’re going to have a surging of hospitalizations that might stress the health care system,” said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
And Omicron might be more problematic for young children, said Dr Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration.
“It appears to be more of an upper airway disease than a lower airway disease.”
School districts go remote
Just as millions of students prepared to return to school, new pediatric Covid-19 hospitalizations reached a record high.
That’s a 66% jump from the previous week.
“It’s going to be a very challenging time,” Hotez said.
In Georgia, at least five large Atlanta-area school districts will be starting class remotely this week.
“Due to the rapid rise in positive cases in the metro Atlanta area, students will begin virtual classes Tuesday, Jan. 4 through Friday, Jan. 7,” Atlanta Public Schools said Saturday.
APS said the goal is to allow students and staff to be tested and to isolate and quarantine as needed, according to CDC and health department guidelines.
Omicron is truly everywhere
Across the country, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has impacted businesses, transportation and emergency services.
“Omicron is truly everywhere,” said Dr Megan Ranney, an emergency medicine professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health.
“What I am so worried about over the next month or so is that our economy is going to shut down — not because of policies from the federal government or from the state governments, but rather because so many of us are ill.”
And the city’s emergency medical services were instructed to not transport stable patients with influenza-like symptoms so they could prioritize those in emergencies, according to a directive issued New Year’s Eve by the fire commissioner, chief of department, chief of EMS and the chief medical director.
In Ohio, the mayor of Cincinnati declared a state of emergency after a spike in Covid-19 infections led to staffing shortages in the city’s fire department.
And thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed as staff and crew call out sick.
Unvaccinated patients
While Americans who have been fully vaccinated might get infected with Omicron, they are less likely than the unvaccinated to get seriously ill, health experts say.
“What we’re seeing is that our vaccinated patients aren’t getting sick, and our frail, multiple comorbidities-vaccinated patients do need admission, but their admissions are shorter and they’re able to leave the hospital after several days,” said Dr Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
They’re the patients most likely to be on the ventilator.
“We’re running out of tests,” O’Neal added.
“If you’re unvaccinated, that’s the group still at highest risk,” said Dr William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
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Source: CNN
