Experts warn that omicron “storm” will hit the US in January

Health experts in the United States have warned their compatriots that the growing wave of COVID-19 cases, led by the omicron variant, threatens to cause major disruption in their lives, from schools to shopping, and urged them to prepare now for a difficult month.

For the second day in a row, the United States recorded a record number of cases based on an average of seven days, with more than 290,000 new infections daily, according to a Reuters tally.

By the count, at least 18 states and Puerto Rico have set records for new cases in the pandemic. Maryland, Ohio and Washington DC also posted record hospitalizations, while COVID admissions in the United States increased 27%.

The increase comes amid a surge in Christmas trips, with the New Year celebrations yet to come, and as schools grapple with the return of students to classrooms after the winter break.

“We are going to see such a dramatic increase in the number of cases in this country that it is going to cost us to maintain the functioning of daily life“Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told MSNBC.

“Next month is going to be a viral storm. The whole society is going to be pressured by this”, He declared.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease chief, said cases are likely to rise through the end of January. He and other US health authorities have said early data shows omicron appears less severe, but they have continued to push for vaccines, masks and physical distancing.

“We must be very careful and not despise omicron too much“Dr. Peter Hoetz, an infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine, told CNN.

The spike in hospitalizations as healthcare workers begin to be left out with their own COVID cases is also concerning, as is the fact that there are fewer effective therapies, Hoetz said. “A very serious time awaits us”.

Already 825,663 people have died in the United States from COVID since early 2020, according to the data, and the latest wave of hospitalizations has been driven by those who have not been vaccinated.