“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, and they need to be prepared.”
“Our health system is at a very different place than we were in previous surges,” emergency medicine professor Dr. Esther Choo said.
“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 have extremely high numbers of just lost health care workers,” she added. “We’ve lost at least 20% of our health care workforce, probably more.”
Across the country, the rapid spread of 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,” Ranney said
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.
The mayor said if the problem goes unaddressed, it would “substantially undermine” first responders’ readiness levels.
Vast majority of patients are unvaccinated, experts say
While Americans who have been fully vaccinated and boosted might get infected with Omicron, they are unlikely to get seriously ill, health experts say.
Source : cnn
