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News Articles: omicron surge

Hospital staff at Gritman Medical Center in the northern Idaho city of Moscow were unable to find Katie Ripley an open ICU bed at a larger hospital as her condition deteriorated.

Tagged as: 

  • Medical Treatments

In rural America, patients are waiting for care — sometimes with deadly consequences

When cancer survivor Katie Ripley got pneumonia, the 25-bed hospital in her small town didn't have the specialized care she needed. But with omicron surging, there was no ICU bed to transfer her to.

February 10, 2022
|
By:
  • Will Stone
Nursing assistant Michelle Bryan dons a protective face shield before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient on the acute care floor.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Inside an Oregon hospital, here's what it takes to provide care through the chaos

Salem Health in Oregon is a major hospital, but the omicron onslaught has strained the staff like never before. Still, they show up. For the patients, and for each other. And some see signs of hope.

February 08, 2022
|
By:
  • Amelia Templeton
GPB News NPR

Tagged as: 

  • Health

The omicron surge may be starting to peak in some parts of the U.S.

Infections appear to have started to either crest or fall in some parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, but hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag.

January 14, 2022
|
By:
  • Rob Stein
Emergency sign on hospital

Tagged as: 

  • Health Care

As omicron overwhelms hospitals, ER wait times become dangerous for non-COVID-19 patients

While omicron is not as deadly, it is more transmissible. In fact, the number of Georgians infected with the virus has increased 16-fold in the last month, according to experts at the state Department of Public Health’s January board meeting. And the health care system is weaker now than it had been even in fall 2021 partly because doctors and nurses are burned out.

January 13, 2022
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021.

Tagged as: 

  • Politics

Political Rewind: Kemp endorses constitutional carry; Warnock pushes for federal voting rights bill

Wednesday on Political Rewind: It was one year ago today that Georgia voters handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats when they elected Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. But as the 2022 election cycle gets underway, Republicans and Democrats are ready for a fierce fight to determine which party will claim dominance of state politics. Like many states, Georgia is seeing a powerful new wave of COVID-19 cases. The Department of Public Health reported more than 67,000 confirmed cases over the new year holiday weekend. Gov. Kemp is set to announce his support for a further loosening of Georgia’s gun laws. Plus, Andre Dickens is sworn in as Atlanta's new mayor…and there’s tightened security on Capitol Hill as the one-year anniversary of the insurrection approaches.

January 05, 2022
|
By:
  • Bill Nigut ,
  • Natalie Mendenhall ,
  • and 1 more
When Dr. Tiffany M. Osborn received her COVID-19 vaccination shortly after vaccines became available in late 2020, she felt hopeful about the pandemic's trajectory. A year later, she's sad and frustrated to see so many COVID patients in the ICU.

Tagged as: 

  • Science

ICU teams report fatigue and frustration as they brace for omicron surge

A resurgence in COVID-19 cases is testing the endurance of health care workers who care for the sickest patients, most of whom are unvaccinated.

January 01, 2022
|
By:
  • Jon Hamilton
A health care worker administers a COVID-19 PCR test at a free test site in Farragut Square on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, the CDC revised data reflecting the prevalence of the omicron variant in new COVID-19 cases.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

The CDC slashes estimates of omicron's prevalence in the U.S.

New data from the CDC released on Tuesday shows that while omicron remains the dominant variant, delta — which is the more severe strain — is still a worrisome driving force behind the current surge.

December 29, 2021
|
By:
  • Vanessa Romo
A man is handed a swab for a rapid test as people line up for coronavirus testing at a gas station in the Reseda section of Los Angeles on Sunday.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Omicron surge sets records as flight disruptions continue

More than 1,400 flights canceled worldwide Monday, adding to thousands canceled over the Christmas weekend. And across the country, long lines continued at COVID-19 testing sites.

December 27, 2021
|
By:
  • NPR Staff
New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced on Tuesday he will be postponing his planned Jan.1 inauguration ceremony.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

A shot at gold, a swearing in, and a tech get-together are all thwarted by omicron

The alarming surge in COVID infections is prompting city leaders, heads of companies, and even sports officials to withdraw from public events that could potentially expose more people to the virus.

December 22, 2021
|
By:
  • Vanessa Romo
President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 response and vaccinations on Tuesday in the State Dining Room of the White House.

Tagged as: 

  • Politics

Biden announces free COVID tests, aid for hospitals to deal with omicron

The U.S. government will buy a half-billion at-home COVID test kits and mail them to people who want them, with deliveries beginning in January.

December 21, 2021
|
By:
  • Jaclyn Diaz
People line up outside a free COVID-19 vaccination site on Dec. 3 in Washington, D.C. Many areas are stepping up vaccination and booster shots as more cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus are detected in the United States.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Omicron could bring the worst surge of COVID yet in the U.S. — and fast

Scientists are projecting the surge will peak in January. Just how massive it could be depends on how quickly Americans get boosted and change behavior to slow the spread.

December 18, 2021
|
By:
  • Rob Stein

Tagged as: 

  • Global Health

Omicron may be less severe in South Africa. That may not be the case for the U.S.

Researchers in South Africa have found that people infected with omicron, on average, are less likely to end up in the hospital. But the variant may act differently here in the U.S.

December 17, 2021
|
By:
  • Michaeleen Doucleff and
  • Daniel Wood

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