When cancer survivor Katie Ripley got pneumonia, the 25-bed hospital in her small town didn't have the specialized care she needed. But with omicron surging, there was no ICU bed to transfer her to.
Salem Health in Oregon is a major hospital, but the omicron onslaught has strained the staff like never before. Still, they show up. For the patients, and for each other. And some see signs of hope.
Infections appear to have started to either crest or fall in some parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, but hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag.
While omicron is not as deadly, it is more transmissible. In fact, the number of Georgians infected with the virus has increased 16-fold in the last month, according to experts at the state Department of Public Health’s January board meeting. And the health care system is weaker now than it had been even in fall 2021 partly because doctors and nurses are burned out.
Wednesday on Political Rewind: It was one year ago today that Georgia voters handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats when they elected Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. But as the 2022 election cycle gets underway, Republicans and Democrats are ready for a fierce fight to determine which party will claim dominance of state politics. Like many states, Georgia is seeing a powerful new wave of COVID-19 cases. The Department of Public Health reported more than 67,000 confirmed cases over the new year holiday weekend. Gov. Kemp is set to announce his support for a further loosening of Georgia’s gun laws. Plus, Andre Dickens is sworn in as Atlanta's new mayor…and there’s tightened security on Capitol Hill as the one-year anniversary of the insurrection approaches.
New data from the CDC released on Tuesday shows that while omicron remains the dominant variant, delta — which is the more severe strain — is still a worrisome driving force behind the current surge.
More than 1,400 flights canceled worldwide Monday, adding to thousands canceled over the Christmas weekend. And across the country, long lines continued at COVID-19 testing sites.
The alarming surge in COVID infections is prompting city leaders, heads of companies, and even sports officials to withdraw from public events that could potentially expose more people to the virus.
Scientists are projecting the surge will peak in January. Just how massive it could be depends on how quickly Americans get boosted and change behavior to slow the spread.
Researchers in South Africa have found that people infected with omicron, on average, are less likely to end up in the hospital. But the variant may act differently here in the U.S.
