Peak of US Omicron? Hospitalizations Increase Pressure "It Will Be Tough for a Few More Weeks"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] "We are overcoming the peak of the winter surge." While there is optimism that the spread of Omicron in the United States may have peaked, warnings continue that it is not over yet. The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has remained in the 800,000 range for three consecutive days. Additionally, hospitalizations, considered a lagging indicator, have reached the highest levels since the pandemic began.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the New York Times (NYT) on the 16th (local time), the seven-day average daily new cases in the U.S. as of the previous day stood at 805,069, marking three consecutive days above 800,000.

Notably, in New York, where the spread of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron was prominent, the number of cases has decreased. As of the 14th, new cases in New York State were 47,870, a 47% decrease compared to the previous week. This is about one-third of the 40,000 cases recorded on the 10th. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, "We are overcoming the peak of the winter surge. But it is not over yet."

The NYT reported, "Since peaking on the 9th, the COVID-19 spread in New York is calming down. The situation is improving in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and other areas," adding, "Northwestern states such as New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are showing similar trends."

However, warnings that it is still far from over continue. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General, appeared on CNN's State of the Union and predicted, "The coming weeks will be tough." He noted, "The entire country is not moving at the same pace," and mentioned, "The impact of Omicron has started in other regions as well."

Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, also said on Fox News Sunday, "In some areas like New York, New Jersey, and Florida, COVID-19 hospitalizations have peaked or are about to peak," but pointed out that other parts of the U.S. have yet to experience the worst of the Omicron surge. In Oregon, Utah, and Alaska, cases have increased about fivefold in two weeks.

Moreover, unlike the recent signs of stabilization in new cases, lagging indicators such as hospitalizations and deaths are rapidly increasing. As of the 15th, the average daily hospitalizations rose 68% compared to two weeks ago, reaching 154,452, the highest since the pandemic began. Deaths increased by 60%, approaching 2,000 per day.

WSJ cited a public opinion poll reporting that only 49% of Americans believe President Joe Biden is handling COVID-19 well. This is a significant drop from 67% in March last year. Among respondents who said Biden is not responding adequately, more than two-thirds cited confusion caused by the government's messaging related to COVID-19 as the reason.

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