JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The omicron variant has now surpassed the delta variant in the number of COVID-19 deaths nationwide.
According to the seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., deaths have been climbing since mid-November, reaching 2,267 on Thursday.
This surpasses the September peak of 2,100 when delta was the dominant variant.
The omicron variant is highly contagious. It is the dominant strain ravaging America. According to Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, its death toll is so high because it is infecting more people.
“Because the number is so much higher than ultimately more people are getting sick being hospitalized and dying than previously,” said Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, M.D., M.P.H
Goldhagen said omicron deaths have a target audience.
“The deaths and illness are occurring primarily in either unvaccinated individuals and/or those who have been vaccinated but not boosted,” said Goldhagen.
Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci expects most states to reach peak omicron by mid-February. Meanwhile, there’s a new sub-variant of omicron, but public health officials aren’t panicking.
“We’re keeping a very close eye on it. It looks a bit more transmissible, but not necessarily more severe,” said Fauci.
The pandemic is far from being behind us. Medical experts continue advocating for vaccinations and boosters for those eligible.
Dr. Goldhagen says new variants are inevitable. He says people should not be as concerned with previous strains and should continue following preventive measures.