US: 80% of ICU beds occupied overburdening healthcare system amid Omicron surge

As the result of new COVID cases owing to the Omicron variant, the healthcare system in the United States is experiencing an unprecedented overload. Dr James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital stated that the US health care system has been overloaded because of the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. He also stated that around 80% of beds in intensive care units (ICU) are occupied across the country, as per the reports of CNN.

The data from the US Department of Health and Human Services suggests that 78% of ICU beds were full as of Thursday, with COVID-19 patients accounting for 22% of those occupied. This week, the United States set a new pandemic record, with daily COVID-19 cases exceeding half a million and a new high of 378 children brought to the hospital with COVID-19. The number of hospitalisations has increased substantially exacerbating hospital overcrowding.

Dealing with a fresh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

The total number of COVID-19 infections in the United States is estimated to be around 52.5 million, with 812,577 fatalities during the course of the pandemic, according to ANI. The United States is now dealing with a fresh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been connected to the spread of the Omicron variant. Health officials believe that the cases will be at their peak during the first few months of 2022.

Maryland and the District of Columbia are the most recent states to see all-time high COVID-19 hospitalisation rates, according to CNN. The US Department of Health and Human Services stated that Maryland presently has 2,197 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, up 32% from just a week ago. 514 COVID cases were found in Washington, DC, which is significantly more than the number a week earlier. The number of hospitalizations in Ohio is 5,609, which is almost equal to the state's all-time high of 5,759 in December 2020.

Hospitalisation is other US states

According to a CNN, hospitalisation numbers in four other states, which includes, Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri and Delaware are at least 80% higher than their all-time highs last winter. On the other hand, four states, including, Michigan, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire reached all-time pandemic peak hospitalisation levels this month, but all four have seen hospitalisations fall in the previous few days.

(Inputs from ANI)