We do not yet know for sure if the variant will spread more rapidly than delta or replace it as the dominant strain in the United States. This already may be happening in places like the United Kingdom and South Africa. Scientists are watching omicron closely because it has changes that may give it an advantage over delta by allowing it to spread more rapidly or infect people with prior immunity. The omicron variant is a version of the virus that causes COVID-19, which has developed changes in its genetic code. With the current surge of intensive care unit cases driven by the delta variant in unvaccinated patients and omicron on the horizon, the 2021-22 holiday season presents a serious risk to our current health care capacity. Dramatic increases in the number of patients who require intensive care for their COVID-19 infection mean that our hospitals have less capacity to provide care for patients with other illnesses and injuries. At Penn State Health, unvaccinated individuals account for two-thirds of our hospitalized COVID-19 cases and more than 75% of those who require intensive care. Current hospitalizations are driven by the delta variant and vaccination remains highly effective at preventing this. Of these, 47 patients were in critical care 28 of them on a ventilator. The four hospitals of Penn State Health had 158 total COVID-19 inpatients (154 adult and four pediatric), as of Wednesday. We are concerned about the current trends due to the approaching holiday season, the easing of prevention measures such as mask mandates and a statewide fully vaccinated rate of less than 60% as of Friday. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania. What is the current state of the pandemic? In addition, a new variant - omicron - has been identified and has even vaccinated individuals rethinking the safety of their holiday plans.
While we all hoped that this year would be “COVID-free,” we are unfortunately facing a surge of severe COVID-19 cases in central Pennsylvania, largely in unvaccinated individuals.
Like everyone else, we have been looking forward to gathering with our loved ones and partaking in holiday traditions we missed out on last year.
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