Hospitalizations for COVID-19 hit a record high today, surpassing the previous high set a year ago, reaching a grim new milestone in the country’s fight against COVID-19.
It’s putting more pressure on a healthcare system already fighting against staff shortages and lack of adequate testing.
Chris Nguyen breaks down just exactly who is being hospitalized and how healthcare systems are handling the strain.
As America struggles to manage the COVID-19 crisis healthcare workers are being pushed to the brink.
“A lot of hospital systems simply don’t have the staff because people are out with COVID themselves, diagnosed, and isolating themselves.”
In Rhode Island some covid positive healthcare workers are continuing to work in line with CDC guidance state health officials say because of critically low staffing levels at hospitals and nursing homes across the state.
“No one could have anticipated the depth of the staffing challenge that we find ourselves in right now.”
Across the country more than 145-thousand people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 a new record high according to data from the Department Of Health and human services.
“This latest surge of Omicron just is like nothing we’ve seen.”
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the risk of hospitalization is eight times higher for unvaccinated people than it is for fully vaccinated people.
“The substantial number of absolute cases is resulting in hospitalization increases across all age groups, including children ages zero to four.”
This comes as Federal officials drive a familiar point urging the public to get vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible.
“The Omicron variant again emphasizes the importance of vaccinations and boosters, which decrease the risk of infection, severe disease, and death caused by COVID-19.”
