As the highly transmissible Omicron variant wreaks havoc in the US, more than 1.08 million people across the country tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday – a global daily record, data from Johns Hopkins University revealed.
The deluge of infections is forcing government officials, employers and citizens to weigh their risk tolerance as Americans enter year three of a devastating pandemic that has upended lives and livelihoods.
Although evidence suggests Omicron is generally more mild and less lethal than other strains, the sheer volume of new cases has been followed by an increase in hospitalizations, threatening to once again overwhelm beleaguered hospitals.
Medical experts are sounding the alarm that the Omicron wave could be particularly harmful to children, as pediatric admissions of patients with Covid-19 reach record highs.
