It’s been almost two years since the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. In that time, we’ve experienced a master class in just how unprepared the U.S. was for a global pandemic.
First, there were the early days in March 2020 when hospitals were overwhelmed by the virus. Since then, the situation hasn’t changed much. Every day more than 1,000 Americans are still dying from COVID-19.
This week, 54% of U.S. hospitals were under high or extreme stress due to the virus.
These issues have been exacerbated by staffing shortages as burnt out doctors and nurses buckle under the stress and quit their jobs. As the Omicron variant sweeps across America, many of these issues may worsen over the next few months.
‘What’s amazing about this pandemic has been the fluidity,’ said Dr. Michael Choo, chief medical officer and senior vice president, Paradigm.