US Coronavirus: As Omicron sweeps the country, New York State offers a glimmer of hope
Governor Kathy Hochul said the state was “turning the tide on a winter increase”.
After the peak positive rate was 23% on January 3, it is now 16.3% and the number of Covid-19 hospitalizations is also starting to decrease, she said at a press conference.
“It’s still very high, but this will eventually catch up with the trend that’s just begun,” Hochul said.
She reported 49,027 new Covid-19 cases, adding that this was “a very positive trend” as the state reported more than 90,000 cases just a week ago.
Nearly last week, as New Yorkers returned to work after the New Year’s break, Hochul’s message grew worse, warning of “nowhere good” due to the rapid spread of the virus.
We fully anticipate the already ongoing increase that there will be another wave due to these holidays,” she said on Jan.
On Friday, she added that residents need to be vigilant.
“In short: cases are trending down, diverging and we have to stay vigilant. We’re not going to spike football, get it?” Hochul said.
CDC updated mask guide
Additionally, two years after the pandemic, more than a fifth of eligible Americans have not received any dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Making a mask is an important public health tool to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and it’s important to remember that any mask is better than no mask,” the CDC said. CDC said in a statement.
The update recommends that Americans wear the best mask or respirator they can find a good fit.
At least one expert wishes guidance came sooner.
“We’ve known that Covid is airborne quality for a year now,” said CNN health analyst and former Baltimore City Health Commissioner, Dr Leana Wen.
“At least wear a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. A single layer of cloth mask is not enough. If the guidelines had been changed a few months ago, we might not have been in the right place. with Omicron,” she said.
Study: Omicron ‘inherently lighter’ than Delta in children under 5
The pre-study study showed a 70% reduction in hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and mechanical ventilation in children with Omicron infection compared with those with Delta infection.
It also showed a 29% reduction in emergency room visits.
About 1% of children infected with Omicron are hospitalized, compared with about 3% of children with Delta.
“Despite these encouraging results, further studies are needed to monitor the long-term acute consequences of Omicron infection, the development trends of ‘prolonged COVID’, the rate of spread, the likelihood of sudden onset of illness. variables and how previous infections change clinical response,” the study’s researchers wrote.
The study included about 7,000 children who were infected during the time when the Omicron variant was dominant, and about 63,000 children who were infected when the Delta variant was dominant.
Data on deaths are not included, as there are very few reports.
Overall, the number of Covid-19 deaths nationwide has lagged behind the worst spike last winter, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US has averaged 1,659 Covid-19 deaths per day over the past week, compared with a peak daily average of 3,402 on January 13, 2021.
The number of children hospitalized at a record level in Alabama
“During this crisis of higher virus transmission with the Omicron variant, immediate measures are critical,” Alabama Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Wes Stubblefield said in a statement. .
The department, along with the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is urging parents to minimize their children’s exposure to the virus in schools and public places, wear appropriate masks, and get vaccinated if eligible.
The state’s largest school system will go virtual next week to address a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The number of positive cases has been difficult for the staff of many of our schools,” said Mobile County Public Schools Superintendent Chresal Threadgill.
While students are expected to return to class on January 24, that decision will be made taking into account current Covid-19 numbers.
There were 16,035 cases of Covid-19 in Alabama schools this week with all but four of the 143 school districts reported.
Nationwide, many school districts have begun remote learning due to the high number of Covid-19 cases among students and staff who are planning to return to face-to-face classrooms in the next few weeks.
In Philadelphia and New Jersey, most schools will reopen on Tuesday.
The Clark County School District, the largest in Nevada and the fourth largest in the United States, is taking a break to address staffing shortages but hopes to resume in-person classes mid-next week.
And Cincinnati public schools will reopen on January 24 if staffing is sufficient to safely reopen schools, officials said.
CNN’s Mirna Alsharif, Amy Simonson, Paradise Afshar, Deidre McPhillips, Virginia Langmaid and Elizabeth Stuart
