New York City January Omicron COVID Updates

Omicron Is Highly Contagious

The omicron variant has proven to be highly contagious. The New York City (NYC) population has been infected with omicron faster than any other covid strain during the pandemic. It became the most prevalent variant within five weeks after it was first discovered at the beginning of December 2021. That is 4 times faster than the delta variant which took 20 weeks to become the most prevalent.

You Are Less Likely to be Hospitalized but Hospitalizations Have Increased Because More of the Population is Infected

Many people with the omicron variant report less severe symptoms. This decreases the likelihood that they will be admitted to the hospital. Although symptoms are less severe there has been an increase in emergency room (ER) visits in NYC because omicron is so contagious that more of the population has been infected.

During the delta variant wave, approximately 5% of patients were hospitalized. During the omicron wave, about 2% of patients have been hospitalized. Yet there are more total hospitalizations because a higher number of people are infected.

Since more of the population is infected, the ER has had an increase in patient visits which causes a rise in hospitalizations, even though a smaller portion of covid patients require hospitalization. About 50% of patients in NYC hospitals have COVID. Patients with comorbidities must also be considered. Oftentimes patients may seek medical care because they have an exacerbation of a comorbidity but are also diagnosed with COVID.

Intensive Care Units Are Full

Approximately 11% of the patients hospitalized with omicron have needed intensive care compared to 20% of patients with COVID last winter. Although percentages have decreased, the overall number of patients has increased due to more of the population being infected. Even though omicron usually has less severe symptoms it is highly contagious, and more people are infected which means that more people may require intensive care. As COVID cases rise, ICU patient numbers also rise. This is not restricted to adults; pediatric hospitalizations due to COVID have also risen.

Populations Being Admitted

In NYC, people who are not vaccinated are eight times more likely to be admitted to the hospital with COVID. NYC is known to be very diverse, but African Americans and people 75 years old and older make up a higher proportion of hospitalizations. It is believed that the differences in health outcomes are related to long ongoing structural racism within healthcare.

Healthcare Systems Are Struggling

Healthcare systems all over the country are struggling due to the increase in COVID numbers and staffing issues. Hospitals have been hit especially hard, and ER wait times have increased significantly. Even though there may be beds available in the hospital there is not enough staff to take care of the patients. This has led to increased patient-to-staff ratios which decreases the quality of patient care. Some previously walk-in healthcare facilities have become “by appointment only”. COVID testing has become harder to access because of the increase in COVID numbers. Some people are waiting hours or even days to be tested. Primary care offices often do not have appointments for several days. Currently, the best protection against COVID is prevention. Vaccination, wearing a mask, practicing hand hygiene and social distancing are still the best-known methods to prevent COVID.

References

Omicron variant: NYC report for January 13, 2022. NYChealth. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/covid/omicron-variant-report-jan-13-22.pdf

About Us

Here at HealthNeed Medical Urgent Care, our main goal is to provide an easy and friendly walk-in experience that will have you face to face with one of our many medical specialists within minutes of checking in and without an appointment. Our team of medical experts offers treatments anywhere from bandaging small scrapes and cuts to IVs. Come check out our offices that are open 365 days a year. We provide pediatric as well as senior medical care, with most health insurances accepted.

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