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United States Medicine

US COVID Hospitalizations Hit New Record High, Raising Risks for Patients (npr.org) 238

Posted by msmash from the growing-concern dept.
The omicron-driven surge has sent COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketing across the U.S., reaching a new pandemic high this week with 145,982 patients hospitalized. From a report: This exceeds the previous high recorded in January last year, according to data tracked by the Department of Health and Human Services, from more than 5,400 hospitals in the country. Patients with COVID now fill about 30% of ICU beds in the nation and pediatric COVID hospitalizations are also at the highest rate of the pandemic. The record-breaking numbers are a sign of just how quickly the omicron variant has swept across the country. Overall, infections are also at record levels, with the U.S. averaging more than 700,000 new cases a day. And researchers and health workers warn that the crowded conditions could be leading to a rise in avoidable deaths, as clinicians struggle to provide the level of care they would normally. "Things are looking grim and substantially worse in many ways than even just a year ago," says Dr. Doug White, a critical care physician at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
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US COVID Hospitalizations Hit New Record High, Raising Risks for Patients More

US COVID Hospitalizations Hit New Record High, Raising Risks for Patients

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  • Meanwhile... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by RyanFenton ( 230700 ) on Tuesday January 11, 2022 @12:56PM (#62164403)

    There's half the nation under this continuing impression that it's on its last legs and going to be gone any second now.

    Exactly the same sentiment held in 2020.

    I say you can't stop active prevention efforts until there's been ZERO new cases in the nation for at least two weeks.

    I think we've learned by now that it's not that hard to wear a mask indoors. It doesn't hurt your breathing, you can communicate just fine with clear intention and effort - and it's a worthwhile priority.

    We've had many pandemics in history - it's worth working together to get past them. Unfortunately, we've had a political streak working especially hard this time to fight any effort against the pandemic - usually those influences fade a bit more when we reach this point in a pandemic.

    If you're desperate for the pandemic times to end - there's a way to end it. By not taking steps that tend to spread it. Refusing prevention steps is how it gets the virus population to mutate and start the pandemic over again.

    Preventing more variants is also the best way to maximize the economy, by the way.

    Ryan Fenton

    • I say you can't stop active prevention efforts until there's been ZERO new cases in the nation for at least two weeks.

      Wow - That's a pretty tall order.
      One method to to attain zero new cases is to stop testing, which has problems of its own. Considering there is news that the future is liable to mean living with COVID like we live with the flu, testing and expecting zero cases is impossible....

      • One method to to attain zero new cases is to stop testing, which has problems of its own.
        Obviously it is not. You want to be sarcastic?

        The correct way is to test everyone. Lock down everything around a positive case.
        And test everyone daily.

        And finally take a long breath out when you have indeed no positive case for 14 days.

        But: non one of you agrees to the correct way. Because of "freedoms".

        • One method to to attain zero new cases is to stop testing, which has problems of its own.
          Obviously it is not. You want to be sarcastic?

          Yes, I was being sarcastic. But I maintain it was a tall order.

          The correct way is to test everyone. Lock down everything around a positive case.
          And test everyone daily.

          And finally take a long breath out when you have indeed no positive case for 14 days.

          But: non one of you agrees to the correct way. Because of "freedoms".

          I will presume you aren't pointing at me with your words.
          Considering COVID came from somewhere I have to presume it could return from somewhere.

          That said, way back when this started the word "essential" applied to workers was a too broadly defined to meet your recipe. I'm not suggesting that I have the correct answer... and hindsight is what it is.

          Where I work, we're testing often and no matter who I call there are not enough tests to go around.

    • I say you can't stop active prevention efforts until there's been ZERO new cases in the nation for at least two weeks.

      I think we've learned by now that it's not that hard to wear a mask indoors. It doesn't hurt your breathing, you can communicate just fine with clear intention and effort - and it's a worthwhile priority.

      I've been working in an office with 100 other people since last March - no masks, no vaccine mandate - and there has not been one single case. None. Zero.

      Wuflu isn't going away. How long do you want to live like this?

      • I've been working in an office with 100 other people since last March - no masks, no vaccine mandate - and there has not been one single case. None. Zero.

        It's a fucking miracle. Only one explanation:you are working with 100 people as antisocial as me.

      • If by office you mean mom's basement then yes I agree.

      • How frequently have you been testing in the office? If you don't have regular testing you can only say you haven't had any symptomatic cases.

        Are you sure all of your office mates have integrity and will share when they get sick? If not, all you can say is you haven't had any confirmed, reported cases.

        Have you been tracking cases in family members of your office mates? If not, all you can say is you aren't sure what role having your office open served in spreading the virus to others.

      • And?
        A friend of mine was on a Silvester party. Two weeks ago. 10 people.
        One had Covid an was asymptotic. He infected 7. So a week after the party 8 of those 10 are sick.
        All except him are having serious symptoms - none in hospital as far as I know, yet. Ah, and all but one vaccinated 2x

        If a random freak comes into your shop you easily get a huge deal of infected co workers, good luck with your "not my problem" attitude.

        BTW: it is not a Flu, in case you missed the memo the last 2 years.

    • We will never, ever be at 0 cases.
      You might as well try stamping out the common cold or the flu.

      Honestly the variants are probably a good thing in the long run, provided they follow the same evolutionary path as every other virus in existence: more easily transmissible, but less severe.

      Can you think of any reason why that might not be the case; any reason at all?

      • provided they follow the same evolutionary path as every other virus in existence: more easily transmissible, but less severe.
        There is no such evolutionary path.
        It is a /. myth, or an American myth. No idea. Probably a myth of your education system.

    • I say you can't stop active prevention efforts until there's been ZERO new cases in the nation for at least two weeks.

      Not only is this a fools errand it will NEVER happen in any of our lifetimes.

      You can't stop the spread. You can't stop everyone from being exposed to Omicron in the next weeks and months. At best all you can do is "bend the curve" slightly to alleviate any temporary localized strain on hospitals.

      I think we've learned by now that it's not that hard to wear a mask indoors. It doesn't hurt your breathing, you can communicate just fine with clear intention and effort - and it's a worthwhile priority.

      Why? For what purpose? Why is it worthwhile when nearly everyone is guaranteed to be exposed in short order and after that repeatedly throughout their lives? What specifically is to be gained by hiding forever

  • Is anyone surprised? (Score:3)

    by smooth wombat ( 796938 ) on Tuesday January 11, 2022 @12:59PM (#62164427) Journal
    When people are being told to drink their own urine [cleveland.com], drink a potentially toxic substance [forbes.com], or suck down goat paste [businessinsider.com] rather than get a free vaccine which is known to prevent deaths or serious illness, this shouldn't be a surprise.

    Deaths are also climbing as a result. Over 1,600 died yesterday, compared to an average of just over 1,200 last week. With the holiday surge kicking into overdrive, expect 2,000+ dead each day in the next week or so, at which point we'll get to hear the fasicist whine President Biden isn't stopping covid. The same people who said when President Biden took office covid would miraculously go away [businessinsider.com].

    It's almost as if these same people are doing their level best to keep the deaths coming for political purposes.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by NFN_NLN ( 633283 )

      > a free vaccine which is known to prevent deaths or serious illness, this shouldn't be a surprise.

      It does more than that. It stops you from getting COVID-19, it stops you from spreading it and tests show it's 90% effective with 1 dose.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    • It's almost as if these same people are doing their level best to keep the deaths coming for political purposes.

      Looking at the politics of the mostly unvaccinated people dying I'd say they are not terribly bright if that is an actual strategy.

  • At the end of the day there are proven affective vaccines that will stop most people from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. In my opinion, there should just be a central covid care ward in each state where you dump theses people clogging up the health care system. If you want to free up more resources, tell the family members of the patients that you need them to assist and provide palliative care too.

  • Omicron has been around long enough that we can see it is more infectious but less lethal than previous dominant strains. It originated in Southern Africa and peaked there a few weeks ago, day-to-day infection rates in the UK have been dropping since the end of December. What is strange in that context is that the rate in France is currently 50% higher than in the UK, I don't know enough of the details to have a clue as to why.
    Back to the UK, the death rate is still rocketing and will probably continue to

  • Fuck unvaccinated evangelical idiots.

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