Omicron’s death in Florida almost doubles as infections continue to decline

The wave of Omicron infections in Florida is declining sharply, but deaths are skyrocketing and fewer Floridas are seeking protection for vaccines and booster shots.

The state reported 1,192 deaths this week. This is the highest mortality rate since the delta wave in October, almost double the mortality rate of the previous week.

Florida health officials recorded 198,719 COVID-19 infections over the seven days of January 21-27, according to a weekly report released late Friday. This is a 53 percent reduction from the 430,297 Omicron peaks reported on January 7-13.

As infections decrease, so does hospitalization. A Florida hospital reported 9,409 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday. This is an 11 percent decrease from the previous week.

When will Florida pandemic deaths peak and then decline? There are many factors in work. It can take weeks for a COVID-19 infection to be fatal, and it may take another few weeks for the state to confirm and report an infection-related death. In previous waves, deaths continued to increase weeks after the infection peaked.

But the rest of the country is much worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 7-day moving average of daily COVID-19 deaths reached 2,300 deaths on Friday. This is above the delta peak of 2,000 deaths per day in September.

Rochelle Warrensky, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned at a briefing at the White House on Wednesday that Omicron is a serious illness that, while not causing so serious symptoms, still causes havoc in the country.

The important thing is that “mild” does not mean “mild”. And we can’t overlook the burden on our healthcare system and the considerable number of deaths, “she said.

Coronavirus has killed 3,254 Florida people since the first case of Omicron was detected in the state on December 7. Omicron variants can evade vaccines and innate immunity and emphasize the need for continued attention. The United States leads the world with more than 881,000 pandemic deaths, and experts say that Omicron will lead the country to reach 1 million COVID-19 deaths. Florida is currently killing 64,955 people due to the virus.

Vaccines are still the best tool to prevent serious illness and death, but not all 5.6 million Florida people over the age of 5 who are eligible to take shots are listening to the message. The state received 72,378 first and second vaccinations last week. This is the third lowest number of weeks since the vaccine was first introduced in December 2020.

Booster shots have proven to be particularly effective against Omicron, but last week only 71,674 people took additional shots. This is the lowest number since it became available to residents under the age of 65 in September. There are at least 5.9 million Florida people eligible for boosters, but they haven’t got boosters yet.

The number of COVID-19 patients at Tampa Bay Hospital is still high, but some hospital officials said the number of new hospitalizations is declining.

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BayCare is treating 771 COVID-19 patients in 14 acute care hospitals throughout the Tampa Bay area, a decrease of about 100 from the previous week. Officials said the majority of infected patients treated at Baycare Hospital were unvaccinated.

The number of COVID-19 patients at Tampa General Hospital is also declining. As of Friday, hospitals tended to have 171 patients, a decrease of 15 from the previous week. However, the number of intensive care units has increased to 52.

Seetha Lakshmi, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tampa General Hospital and an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the University of South Florida Health Morsani Medical College, said:

The Omicron variant causes more symptoms in the upper respiratory tract, but if the patient is unable to fight the virus, it can spread to the lungs and have the same deadly consequences as Delta, she said. rice field.

“At ICU, I don’t feel any difference from Delta,” Lakshmi said. “When they get seriously ill, it’s very similar.”

Omicron’s surge hasn’t put as many people in the hospital as Delta, but it continues to strain staff tired of pandemics. And it comes when virtually all hospitals are struggling to fill nursing vacancies.

At Tampa General, Lakshmi said it meant that nurses were working overtime and could still be tired when starting the next shift.

“It takes a lot of time from healthcare professionals to respond to a crisis after a crisis,” she said. “It’s like being hit by a series of hurricanes.”

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How to take the test

Tampa Bay: Times can help you find Free public COVID-19 test site In the counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsboro, Manatees, Pasco, Pineras, Pork and Sarasota.

Florida: To the Ministry of Health Website List test sites in the state. Some information may be out of date.

America: To the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Website It can help you find a test site.

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How to get vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccines over 5 years old and booster shots of eligible recipients are given in clinics, clinics, pharmacies, grocery stores and public vaccination sites. In many cases, you can book your booking online. Here’s how to find a site near you.

Find a site: visit Vaccine.gov Search for vaccination sites by zip code.

Other help: Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline.

phone: 800-232-0233. Help is available in English, Spanish, and other languages.

TTY: 888-720-7489

Disability information and access lines: Call 888-677-1199 or send an email to DIAL @ n4a.org.

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Omicron variant: Omicron has changed what we know about COVID. This is the latest How infectious COVID-19 mutants affect masks, vaccines, boosters and quarantine.

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Booster shot: Are you confused about which COVID booster to get? This guide is useful..

Booster Question: Are there any side effects? Why do you need it? Here is the answer to your question..

Senior protection: Here’s how older people can do it: Ensuring safety from viruses..

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