A “tsunami”: omicron could cause a wave of COVID-19 in the US

After two years of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S faces another bleak winter, in which the variant omicron of COVID-19, red-hot, threatens to further exacerbate an already dangerous surge in cases.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have soared 45% in the past month, and cases have risen 40% to a seven-day average of 123,000 new infections a day, according to a Reuters tally.

Pfizer Inc, one of the major vaccine makers, predicted on Friday that the pandemic would last until 2024 and that a lower-dose version of its vaccine for children ages two to four generated a weaker response than expected, which it could delay your authorization.

The omicron variant appears to be much more transmissible than previous ones of the virus and better able to evade immune defenses, according to early studies.

Public health officials say it is likely to become the dominant variant in the country, following rapid spread in places like South Africa and the United Kingdom, and could put a strain on hospitals still struggling to contain the surge in delta variant of the boreal summer.

“PUT ON THE REINFORCEMENT NOW. The omicron tsunami is likely to reach a nearby hospital soon, “Dr. Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), posted on Twitter.

Preliminary data from South Africa suggest that omicron causes milder disease than the delta variant, which is still causing much of the current wave. But a British study published Friday found no difference in severity between the two.

In any case, omicron’s extraordinary level of infecting means it could cause many more deaths, America’s leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday.

“When more people are infected, the total number of hospitalizations is going to be higher. That’s simple math, ”Fauci told CNBC television.

Both the National Hockey League and the NBA postponed games this week, and the basketball league and the National Football League imposed tighter COVID-19 restrictions after dozens of players tested positive.