Hospitalizations and deaths are being dragged higher by Omicron’s relentless spread.

(Originally published Jan. 10 in “What in the World“) With the U.S. now averaging roughly 700,000 new Covid infections daily, hospitalizations and deaths from Omicron are beginning to test past pandemic peaks, stretching an already tattered healthcare system to the breaking point.

In the chart below, we can see deaths climbing in the five countries with more than 50 million people that lead the world in Covid prevalence. Deaths aren’t yet as high as last winter, thankfully. But since our goal is to reduce hopsitalizations and deaths, not merely keep them from matching old records, the media’s continued fixation on the lower lethality of a vastly more prevalent version of the virus is very troubling. Covid’s impact is not abating. Make no mistake, we are losing to the virus—roughly 6,100 people a day.

And here’s the overall global death toll. At the rate each surge’s toll is declining, we may see losses to Covid return to early pandemic (flu-like) levels in about 18 months….

The good news is that U.S. states are re-opening mass vaccination facilities (why did they close in the first place?) to stem Omicron’s onslaught.