Biden Omicron measures too little, too late for fast-moving virus: Experts
The measures taken by US President Joe Biden to backstop hospitals and distribute coronavirus test kits, are too little, too late to curb a surge of Omicron-related coronavirus cases over Christmas and New Year's, health experts warned.
The warning comes one day after Biden announced in detail plans to distribute 500 million at-home coronavirus test kits.
Anne Rimoin, a UCLA professor of epidemiology, praised the Democratic president’s focus on testing, but added, "Unfortunately, it’s late in coming and will be a small drop in the bucket compared to the tsunami of cases on the horizon."
The tests pledged by the White House beginning in January equate to only one or two per US resident. Households need a great deal more to make daily decisions about exposure, Rimoin said.
"We need those tests now," she said. Testing in the US is behind the curve due to a lack of skilled workers, a shortage of at-home tests and under-investment in recent months, according to interviews with over a dozen officials, health providers and testmakers.
Meanwhile, the rapid spread of Omicron infections has hospitals in the US Midwest "preparing for the worst."
Hospitals’ intensive care units and medical personnel have already severely been strained from a wave of the potent Delta variant of COVID-19.
In recent weeks, the virus has hit Indiana, Ohio and Michigan harder than any other states. Currently, nearly one in four of their hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to US Department of Health and Human Services data.
According to HHS, the impact is even greater in their intensive care units, where COVID-19 patients now constitute one-third or more of the beds.
While Ohio’s hospital population has more than doubled since early November, the stress on the system’s capacity was especially acute in the northeast part of the state that includes Cleveland, said Ohio Hospital Association spokesman John Palmer said.
“If these hospitalizations keep going up, it's going to reach a breaking point,” said Palmer, whose association represents 250 hospitals and 15 health systems.
“We hope for the best but we're preparing for the worst when it comes to Omicron," said Palmer. "The reality is that we have a lot of unvaccinated Ohioans.”
In Michigan, hospitals are using 82% of their regular beds and 87% of their ICU beds, according to federal HHS data.
Earlier this month, the state said 76% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were not vaccinated.
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