As Delta Spikes in Parts of U.S., Omicron Wave Builds Momentum
Experts worry that the high infectivity of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will further strain health care systems already dealing with Delta. Expect infection preventionists to be in the thick of it.
This time, we have the vaccines. This time, we have booster shots. This time, we have new treatments and methods that have been tested in previous waves. This time everybody knows the non-pharmaceutical mitigation methods—hand hygiene, social distancing, masking.
All of that should matter, say medical experts. Still, the health care system in the United States faces yet another unprecedented challenge. Omicron looks to become the dominant variant, according to many experts, and too much of the U.S population lacks the proper protection, which is more and more seen as having 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Also, while mortality rates might not be as high as in previous COVID-19 surges, hospital systems could be burdened not only by COVID-19 patients, but all the non-COVID infected patients who need help.
No matter how this plays out, infection preventionists (IPs) figure to be in the thick of any surge once again.
Rebecca Leach, MPH, BSN, RN, CIC, a member of Infection Control Today®’s (ICT®’s) Editorial Advisory Board (EAB), says that “at this point, the preparation that infection preventionists need to make are around resiliency and support for clinical staff who are exhausted and already stretched beyond limits.”
Heather Saunders, MPH, RN, CIC, is director of infection control at Johns Hopkins Office of Population Health, and another member of ICT®’s EAB. Saunders says that “while mortality rates might not be as high as in previous COVID-19 surges, hospital systems could be burdened not only by COVID-19 patients, but all the non-COVID infected patients who need care.” She adds that “while influenza (flu) activity in the United States remains low, many regions of the country are beginning to detect small, steady increases in cases. It’s possible that we’re looking at a relatively typical flu season, or at least more cases than last year. And if so, increases in influenza cases coupled with a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant does not bode well for hospital capacity.”
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