Omicron Surge Crushes Healthcare System with Hospitals in 24 States Nearing Full Capacity

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Hospitals in two dozen states are close to reaching capacity as coronavirus cases continue surging, The New York Times reported, citing data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The surge in cases nationwide is being attributed to omicron, the latest variant of COVID-19, which is known to be highly contagious and was first discovered in the U.S. in December.

On Friday, the NYT reported data from the government showing that in 24 states, including Georgia, Maryland and Massachusetts, at least 80 percent of hospital beds were full.

In 18 states and Washington, D.C., at least 85 percent of beds in adult ICU units were full, with the fewest available beds in Alabama, Missouri, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Texas.

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Around the country health care experts and government officials continue to blame the high number of hospitalizations on people who are not vaccinated.

In Maine Tuesday, Gov. Janet Mills announced in a news release the Maine National Guard was deployed at hospitals to help staff care for patients.

"I wish we did not have to take this step, but the rise in hospitalizations – caused primarily by those who are not vaccinated – is stretching the capacity of our health care system thin, jeopardizing care for Maine people, and putting increased strain on our already exhausted health care workers," said Mills.

"The National Guard have been an invaluable asset during this public health emergency, and with this new order, we are hopeful that our hospitals will be able to open more beds to provide for surge care. Of course, the most fundamental way to help our hospitals maintain capacity and give our health care workers a much-needed break is to follow their advice and get vaccinated. It may save your life or someone else's."

Hospitalizations in the United States are at record highs amid omicron. On Wednesday, NPR reported that data from the DHHS showed 145,982 Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number since the state of the pandemic. The figure broke a previous record of cases that was reported in January of 2021.

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On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a dire warning about how contagious the new strain of COVID-19 can be. He reminded Americans that even those who are vaccinated can contract it.

"Omicron, with its extraordinary, unprecedented degree of efficiency of transmissibility, will ultimately find just about everybody," said Fauci per CNN.

"Those who have been vaccinated ... and boosted would get exposed. Some, maybe a lot of them, will get infected but will very likely, with some exceptions, do reasonably well in the sense of not having hospitalization and death."

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