The epidemic of Omicron is likely to underestimate the highest ever Covid cases, according to Michigan doctors.

Royal Oak, Michigan. ―――― Omicron has created a series of new problems in Michigan, beyond the historic number of infected people in Michigan.

Surge put additional pressure on Hospital system already plagued In Michigan, that’s not surprising. This strain, which has been shown to be three to four times more infectious, can even be transferred through vaccinated people.

But it also encourages more home testing. Dr. Matthew Sims of Beaumont said no positive tests were recorded by the state.

“And now we have Omicron. They estimate it is 3x or 4x contagious, and it’s probably an underestimate, because now many people have home test kits. I’m testing at, and they aren’t recorded, “said Sims, an infectious disease expert, on Sunday night.

“Therefore, positive people based on home kits are not included in the number, so there are probably even more omicrons than we are aware of.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adjusted the recommended quarantine period For asymptomatic cases in an effort to better reflect the infectivity of the new mutation in COVID-19.

However, these changes, adopted by the Michigan Department of Health in December, also show that health authorities are struggling to give the best advice.

“The pandemic is changing faster than the message,” Sims said.

Related: How long do you need to quarantine? CDC updates recommendations

The CDC’s new guidance was released around Christmas. It is possible that no one was watching the news during this time. Many may have already returned home for vacation. How isolated are symptomatic people? Should asymptomatic individuals continue to self-quarantine if they are still positive after a 5-day quarantine period? What if the two tests show two different results?

Pandemics are by no means a static issue, and experts say that, as with the health crisis, best safety practices are constantly evolving. But contradictions between senior officials, misunderstandings with the White House, and other unique decisions made that evolution tricky.

Last week, the American Medical Association criticized the CDC’s latest guidance, saying the new recommendation “is not only confusing, but also at risk of further spread of the virus.”

This is because the CDC’s initial guidance did not include a recommendation to get a negative test before terminating self-quarantine.

That is, if someone can find the first test to take.

Related: “We are at the limit”: Beaumont reports a 40% increase in COVID-19 patients over the past week

County like Wayne and Auckland have reopened drive-through test centers to adapt to growing needs.Media reports about the lack of home tests make it difficult for people to know if they still have the virus.

And the people testing haven’t reported it to the state. The state holds an official record of the number of positive cases reported. On Friday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced an average of more than 20,000 new cases per day. This is simply the highest case ever.

However, these numbers do not include home testing and may not yet be accurate.

Hospitals in Michigan were in trouble and needed to make space elsewhere to free up personnel and beds.

“I think the hospital is still safe at this point. I think people will get the care they need,” Sims said.

“For now, we’re still doing a pretty good job of providing critical care to patients,” he added. “As you know, we are trying to limit selective care. If something can wait, hopefully it should wait.”

more: Compare the N95 mask with the cloth mask. How good are they?

Beaumont reported a 40% increase last week among Covid-positive patients. About 62% of those patients were unvaccinated and only 8% were not boosted.Henry Ford Health System I’ve seen a similar rise In some cases.

He also said last week that nearly 700 employees had to go home because of the infection.

Still, the fourth pandemic surge remains the most serious in Michigan, but more than 3 million inhabitants have not yet obtained their first dose. The COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard Report As of Monday, only 63.8% of the state’s eligible population had the first dose.

The inequality is related to health authorities who are having a hard time telling how to proceed after an infection. Persuading skeptics to expert advice on getting vaccinated remains an even more lasting barrier.

“People who are completely against vaccines-whatever message you give them to convince them that they need a vaccine, it’s very difficult. It’s safe and effective, and this is me. It’s what we need to get out of the pandemic. ”