Omicron Surge Has Adventist Hospitals Breaking Records: ‘This Wave Is Unlike Previous Waves’
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- Unvaccinated people have been found to be 23 times more likely to become infected with Omicron, and 25 times more likely to require hospitalization than those who are fully vaccinated.
- Without a booster, the chance of becoming infected with Omicron is 70 percent. With the booster, the chance of contracting Omicron drops to 25 percent.
- More children than adults have been hospitalized for Covid in the past four weeks in the U.S.
07 January 2022 | Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale and Amita Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange, both in Illinois, United States, broke their records for number of coronavirus patients this week, reported news site the Patch.
Across the country, Adventist Health Simi Valley in California was filled to 100 percent capacity in intensive care unit beds in the week ending Dec. 30, 2021, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
Child hospitalizations for Covid have grown at nearly twice the rate of adults in the past 4 weeks in the US, an NBC News data analysis revealed.
Australia, Britain, France, Greece, Portugal and other countries are shattering records for daily reported coronavirus cases, NBC News also reported.
“Omicron is moving so quickly,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, at a news conference on Dec. 29, 2021. “[Covid] will continue to evolve and threaten our health system if we don’t improve the collective response.”
Alice Issai, president of Adventist Health Glendale in California, US, said the Omicron variant spreads anywhere from two to four times faster than Delta did, and the daily rate of rising cases has the potential to cause significant illness and shortages in the workforce, reported the Burbank Leader newspaper.
“This wave is unlike previous waves,” said Issai. Unvaccinated people have been found to be 23 times more likely to become infected with Omicron, and 25 times more likely to require hospitalization than those who are fully vaccinated, she said.
However, ABC 7 News reported that a workplace holiday party with about 50 people in Davis, Calif., led to an outbreak of at least 16 cases, at least 10 of whom were identified as having Omicron, government officials said. All 16 were fully vaccinated, and eight had received their booster.
Still, Issai urged people to get their vaccinations and booster shots. Without a booster, the chance of becoming infected with Omicron is 70 percent. With the booster, the chance of contracting Omicron drops to 25 percent, Issai said.
“We’ve worked hard, along with the city and other healthcare providers, to provide vaccinations to anyone who wants them,” said Issai. “The fact is more people need to want them.”
(Photo: Alice Issai, far left, president of Adventist Health Glendale, gives a Covid-appropriate greeting to a visiting student on Nov. 4, 2020. Issai recently urged people to get their vaccinations and booster shots in light of the surge in Omicron coronavirus cases. Photo via Adventist Health Glendale Facebook page.)
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