Florida reports almost 47,000 new cases of COVID-19 after the increase in the Omicron variant, so the state hospitals have begun to report hospitalizations due to the increase in the number of new infections.
The 46,923 cases reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) brought Florida’s total to 4,012,152 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Florida reported a previous record of nearly 33,000 new infections on Christmas Eve and 29,000 combined cases over the past weekend.
Meanwhile, Miami Dade County has expanded the sites people can go to get tested for COVID-19. Cases in the state have increased dramatically since the Omicron variant emerged during the Christmas holidays.
Researchers have said that while the lines to get a COVID-19 test in South Florida are dramatic and show a desire to get as many tests done, on the big picture, the number of cases is not that important. like who goes to the hospital or the deceased.
On Tuesday, 679 more people were in Florida hospitals with COVID-19, bringing the total to more than 2,700 confirmed cases, according to the Florida Hospital Association. But that’s still a bit far from the peak of 17,000 hospitalizations during the Delta wave.
The Omicron variant spreads much faster from person to person, but those infected appear to have milder symptoms, experts reported. If people are vaccinated and boosted, wear masks and distance themselves socially, they are less likely to end up in the hospital, said Mary Mayhew of the Florida Hospital Association.
But one concern that hospitals are watching is how they respond once inside the hospital because one of the most common treatments might not be as effective against the Omicron variant.
“One of the best tools we had outside of hospitals in the community setting and in the emergency department was antibody therapy which dramatically reduced hospitalizations,” said Mayhew, who was one of the governor’s top COVID-19 advisers. Ron DeSantis. “Unfortunately, it is not clear whether the current treatment that has been available, antibody therapy, will work with this particular variant.”
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