Feb. 9, 2022
With the Omicron variant now accounting for nearly 100% of COVID-19 instances in america, the seven-day common of each day COVID-related deaths hit 2,600 lately, the very best price in a couple of 12 months,The Washington Publish reported.
That’s larger than the roughly 2,000 each day deaths final autumn through the Delta surge, however lower than the three,000 each day deaths final January, when COVID vaccines weren’t extensively out there, The Publish knowledge evaluation stated.
The Omicron variant typically causes much less extreme illness than different strains of COVID, however as a result of it’s so transmissible, Omicron is infecting larger uncooked numbers of folks that earlier strains.
“Even when on a per-case foundation fewer folks develop extreme sickness and die, whenever you apply a small proportion to a really massive quantity, you get a considerable quantity,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist on the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being, instructed The Publish.
The unvaccinated, folks over 75, and other people with underlying medical circumstances are the teams most endangered by Omicron, The Publish stated. About half of the deaths in January 2022 had been amongst folks over 75, in comparison with a couple of third in September through the Delta surge.
The age development is seen in Florida, stated Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist on the College of South Florida Faculty of Public Well being. He instructed The Publish that seniors accounted for about 85% of deaths final winter, about 60% through the Delta surge, and about 80% now through the Omicron surge.
The uptick in senior deaths might have occurred as a result of seniors who received vaccinated in early 2021 didn’t get boosted forward of the Omicron surge, he stated.
“Omicron could also be much less extreme for youthful folks, however it would nonetheless discover susceptible seniors in our group,” Salemi stated. “That vaccination again in February isn’t as efficient now in case you aren’t boosted.”
CDC knowledge exhibits that 95% of individuals in america over 65 have gotten not less than one dose of vaccine, 88.5% are totally vaccinated, however solely 62.5% have gotten a booster dose.
The COVID demise price is highest within the Midwest. Over the last two months, Chicago reported greater than 1,000 COVID deaths, virtually as a lot because the December 2020 peak, The Publish stated. Minorities have been hit onerous. About third of the town’s inhabitants is Black however about half the COVID victims are Black, The Publish stated.
“It’s been difficult as a result of it goes up in opposition to the nationwide narrative that omicron is nothing harmful,” stated Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Division of Public Well being.
In a Wednesday information briefing at The White Home, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, supplied barely completely different statistics on COVID-related deaths. She stated that the seven-day common of each day deaths was about 2,400, up 3% from the earlier week.
The seven-day each day common of instances is about 247,300 instances per day, down 44% from the earlier week, she stated. Hospital admissions are about 13,000 each day, down 25% from the earlier week.
Walensky stated the Omicron variant now accounts for nearly 100% of COVID viruses circulating in america.
