Coronavirus hospitalizations are on the ascent in California as the omicron variant spreads, joining with a vacation wave of the Delta strain to start worries of one more flood that could strain the state’s healthcare system.
There were 3,589 COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals as of Friday, an increase of generally 12% from about fourteen days prior, as indicated by media’s hospitalization tracker. Some Southern California areas have seen greater leaps, with hospitalizations ascending by almost 31% in L.A. Area and by generally 26% in Riverside County during a similar period.
California had recorded 49 cases of the omicron variant as of Wednesday, although not all samples are sequenced to identify variants. That’s much lower than the 184,700 identified cases of the Delta variant, which remains dominant in the state, but health officials expect the number will rise. Omicron is thought to be more contagious than Delta and better at evading immunity generated by vaccines or previous infections, although experts say vaccines still offer protection against severe illness and death.
While there are early indications omicron may cause less serious illness than different variants, assuming an adequate number of individuals are infected, hospitals could be overpowered regardless, health officials say. That comes as the framework as of now faces different difficulties, including critical staffing shortages and increased interest for other healthcare services like flu treatment and procedures that were put on hold earlier in the pandemic.