Pouch: "Focus Should Be on Hospitalization Rate, Not Number of Confirmed Cases"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] U.S. health authorities, struggling with the spread of the Omicron variant, have argued that the focus should be on hospitalization rates rather than the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases.

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with ABC News on the 2nd (local time), "Since most cases among vaccinated individuals are asymptomatic or mild, the number of confirmed cases has become a less important indicator than before."

According to The New York Times (NYT), the recent 7-day average daily confirmed cases in the U.S. is 387,000, a 202% surge compared to two weeks ago.

During the same period, the hospitalization rate increased by 30%, which translates to about 90,000 patients per day. Meanwhile, the death rate decreased by 4%.

Experts believe that relying solely on the number of new confirmed cases has limitations in assessing the pandemic situation. This is because the number of tests has surged due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, and the spread caused by infected individuals not included in the statistics continues.

NYT stated, "Director Fauci's remarks indicate that the number of positive COVID-19 test results is not a perfect indicator to assess the progression of the epidemic."

In the U.S., major cities on the densely populated East and West coasts are recording tens of thousands of confirmed cases daily, setting new records every day. Currently, among the 51 states, 24 states have hospital bed occupancy rates exceeding 75%.

Director Fauci said, "Even if the hospitalization rate due to Omicron is lower than that of the Delta variant, an increase in confirmed cases will lead to an increase in hospitalized patients," adding, "This can put pressure on the healthcare system and cause significant disruption."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.