Category: Covid-19

This weekend, the Department of Defense (DoD), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded contracts to Atlantic Trading, LLC (Austin, Texas) and Medea Inc. (Pleasanton, California), purchasing a combined total of 27 million over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits. This effort supports the presidents plan to deliver 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests to the nation in response to the Omicron variant.

The DoDs Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) led this effort in partnership with DoDs Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell (DA2), Army Contracting Command, and the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The procurement was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act to supply critical medical resources to the nation.

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DOD Awards Contracts to Purchase COVID-19 Antigen Over-the-Counter Test Kits in Support of - Department of Defense

Cases are soaring, hospitals are filled, people are lining up at testing sites, and yet, after nearly two years of living with COVID-19, the pandemic has fundamentally changed.

And how we track and measure the pandemic is shifting, too.Its as if we have to set aside everything weve learned since March 2020 and learn a new way of thinking about the pandemic.

How we interpret the current numbers number of cases, hospitalizations, positivity rates has to change as the epidemic itself evolves, said Joshua Michaud, associate director of global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a national health policy think tank.

Unlike earlier versions of the virus, the omicron variant is changing the nature of the pandemic. Omicron now causing an estimated 95 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is much different than delta and previous variants, in its genetic structure and its behavior.

Some of its mutations make it far more contagious, fueling fears of even more hospital patients and worsened staffing shortages. But it also appears less severe, with research indicating it is more likely to stay in the upper respiratory tract and not migrate to the lungs, where it can cause more respiratory distress and the potential for long-term lung scarring.

Things are worse, but also better.

Everything is really different than it was just a few weeks ago, said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, chief health improvement officer at MaineHealth.

The ways we have measured the virus daily case counts, 7-day averages and positive tests are less useful now. Even the number of hospitalized patients the new gold standard of tracking data must change to keep up with omicron, according to some experts.

And some health experts are calling for an entirely new approach to omicron.

A NEW APPROACH

A team of Biden health care advisers published a series of health policy articles Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association arguing that public health policy should adjust to a new normal in the pandemic.

The new normal requires recognizing that (COVID-19) is but one of several circulating respiratory viruses that include influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and more. COVID-19 must now be considered among the risks posed by all respiratory viral illnesses combined, according to the report.

But with omicron being so much more contagious, the health system is dealing with a lot more disease all at once, again threatening hospital systems that are struggling to preserve enough capacity to care for COVID-19 patients.

Omicron is so extremely contagious it is like having a field thats completely on fire, Mills said. With delta, theres a lot of fires here and there but you could walk through the fields and not get burnt. Now the whole field is on fire.

FUTURE IS MURKY

COVID-19 has been unpredictable from the start. Now omicron is making it even more difficult to see the future.

According to some predictions by public health experts, omicron will peak in mid- to late-January or early February and then quickly subside, similar to what happened or is happening in South Africa, the U.K. and Denmark.

But there are still many unknowns because of differences in vaccination levels and demographics between Maine, the rest of the United States and other countries.

With about 75 percent of its population vaccinated, Maine has one of the highest rates of immunization in the U.S., and those who are vaccinated are about nine times less likely to be hospitalized if they fall ill with COVID-19, according to U.S. CDC research. But Maine also has uneven vaccination rates, with some areas like Cumberland County and other coastal counties nearing or topping 80 percent vaccinated, while more rural and interior areas have vaccination rates 20 percentage points lower.

The crystal ball over the next few weeks is very murky, Mills said.

Officially, 8.75 percent of samples from positive tests in Maine were found to be from omicron in late December, but public health officials believe the percentage is much higher now. With omicron causing exponential growth, public health officials expect it will soon be the dominant strain in Maine, if it is not already.

BEYOND CASE COUNTS

Case counts, long a staple of measuring the pandemic, are becoming less relevant.

The number of cases is important to know, but its not anymore a good reflection of what is happening in the pandemic. This is especially true of omicron, Michaud said.

It was always true that some cases went uncounted, whether because an infected person never had symptoms or because they recovered at home and never got tested. But with the proliferation of at-home testing, the official daily count is even less reflective of the actual number of cases. With home-tests combining with a milder version of the disease that can mimic the common cold in some cases, omicron is likely resulting in a growing undercount of daily cases.

Also, because there are so many confirmed infections, the Maine CDC has had a persistent backlog of cases some are several days to a week old before they are reported in the daily case count. That wasnt happening when there were 100 cases a day, but with more than 10 times that amount needing to be verified, its backing up the agency workers who release the daily count.

Dr. Nirav Shah, Maine CDC director, said the importance of the daily announcement of new cases has waned as even experts seek a better understanding of whats happening.

Were just searching for metrics that better and more granularly tell us whats really going on on a day-to-day basis, Shah said during Wednesdays media briefing. Whats a signal, and whats noise?

POSITIVE TESTS LOSE RELEVANCE

Positivity rates, another metric often used to measure how much virus was circulating, are also less telling.

The positivity rate measures the percent of tests that come back positive. Earlier in the pandemic, experts considered it a key indicator for when to tighten or loosen health safety guidelines and recommendations. Now, however, the wider availability of at-home tests is skewing the metric. Those are not included in positivity rates.

The testing shortage is also affecting positivity rates, Michaud said. With a shortage of testing appointments causing longer wait times, fewer asymptomatic people who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 are likely to bother seeking a test. Gov. Janet Mills administration said Friday it is attempting to address the test shortage by purchasing 250,000 rapid tests from Abbott Labs to distribute to pharmacies and other places.

It is harder to draw conclusions based on the positivity rate compared to previously in the pandemic, Michaud said.

Shah said the Maine CDC now looks at positivity rates from one or two incubation periods ago 14 to 28 days but does not compare the rates to several months ago or a year ago, because so much has changed.

Maines positivity rate is 18.05 percent, about double what it was two weeks ago and higher than at any point during the pandemic. But because many people are not getting tested or are testing but not being counted, those comparisons no longer mean what they once did.

HOSPITALIZATIONS WATCHED CLOSELY

Shah said last week that hospitalizations are now a better metric to focus on.

We focus on the metrics that really tell us whats going on, Shah said. Our team really focuses on things like hospitalizations, intensive care unit utilization and ventilator utilization.

Hospitalizations reached a new peak Saturday, with 399 patients throughout Maine. But the number of intensive care patients has flattened this week, and stood at 106 on Saturday.

That decoupling of hospitalizations with ICU patients has been seen in the U.K., Denmark and so far in some hospitals in the U.S. where communities have been hit with earlier omicron waves, such as New York City. Hospitalizations increase with omicron, but with the average patient getting less sick, the number of people admitted to ICUs and on ventilators remains flat, according to some research and on-the-ground experience at hospitals.

But that may not be the case in Maine this winter, Dr. Mills warns. Thats because Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont were in the midst of delta variant surges, which had subsided in other states before omicron started taking over. The potential of a longer overlap with both delta and omicron patients in the hospital could be dangerous for the state.

Were going to be seeing more disease in our hospitals, Mills said. The next four weeks were just going to have to take everything hour by hour and day by day.

HOSPITALIZED WITH VERSUS FOR COVID

Some experts are even calling for a new way of counting hospitalizations because of omicron.

As hospitals fill with patients, hospital officials in other states are noticing a difference compared to the delta and other previous surges. With omicron, more patients in the hospital for other reasons such as a broken ankle or cancer treatment are then testing positive for COVID-19. That happened far less often with the delta variant.

The U.K. and New York state now have separate categories for these patients, one for those admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and another for those hospitalized with COVID-19 because they tested positive after being admitted for another reason.

Some U.S. hospitals experiencing an omicron surge including in New York, California and Washington state are reporting 50 to 75 percent of their COVID-19 patients were hospitalized for another reason.

Michaud, the Kaiser Family Foundation health expert, said that as omicron sweeps through the nation, he could see more states separating COVID-19 patients into the different categories rather than lumping them all together.

I do think its an important distinction, especially with omicron, Michaud said.

New York state Friday released statistics showing that 57 percent of COVID-19 patients statewide were admitted to hospitals for COVID-19, while for the remaining 43 percent COVID-19 was not included as one of the reasons for admission.

Maine officials say they see drawbacks to separating the counts, however.

Shah said given the pressures from the surge, hes not sure that devoting limited resources to categorize patients with and for COVID-19 is necessary. All patients with COVID-19 in a hospital use up more resources than patients without the disease because of the safety protocols and personal protective equipment requirements for health care workers. And some medically vulnerable patients, such as cancer patients, could end up very ill with COVID-19, even if that wasnt the original reason they were admitted.

From a health system utilization perspective, the difference between with and for doesnt matter when our hospitals are under such great strain, Shah said. On some level, this is a distinction without a difference.

In England, about 70 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are being treated primarily for COVID-19, with the remaining 30 percent testing positive after being admitted for another reason, according to government statistics.

John Bell, a University of Oxford medicine professor, told the BBC in late December that hospitals are also seeing an entirely different kind of COVID-19 patient.

They dont need high-flow oxygen, average length of stay is apparently three days, he said. This is not the same disease as we were seeing a year ago.

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How omicron is changing what we know about COVID-19 - Press Herald

High demand for COVID-19 testing continues

Justin Matthews reports.

BRANDON, Fla. - Hillsborough County is opening a free COVID-19 testing site on Monday, Jan. 10 at Hillsborough Community College in Brandon as the demand for tests increases with the omicron wave.

HCC Brandon is located at 10451 Nancy Watkins Drive in Tampa. It will be open from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. and is a drive-thru site that does not require appointments.

This is one of three sites that Hillsborough County has opened that offers COVID-19 testing. Residents can also get tested for COVID-19 at Progress Village Park, 8701 Progress Blvd., Tampa, FL 33619. This is a walk-up COVID-19 testing site open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. No appointments are needed.

Additionally, West Tampa Community Resource Center, 2103 N. Rome Ave., Tampa, FL 33607, remains open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is a walk-up site that offers free COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, Pfizer pediatric vaccines, booster shots for those who are eligible, and monoclonal antibody therapy treatment.

RELATED: Federal government to decide if 1 million expired Florida COVID-19 test kits are salvageable

At the West Tampa Community Resource Center site, no appointments are needed for most of the services. Residents wanting monoclonal antibody therapy treatment must make an appointment. Residents can make an appointment at patientportalfl.com.

Children ages 5 to 11 who are accompanied by their parent or legal guardian can receive the COVID-19 Pfizer pediatric vaccine at the West Tampa Community Resource Center site. The child must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to verbally confirm the child's age.

RELATED: Hospitals see spike in pediatric COVID-19 cases

For all services, proof of medical insurance is recommended and should be presented at the time of the visit. People without medical insurance will still be tested, vaccinated, or receive monoclonal antibody therapy treatment for free.

The city of Tampa has also opened a COVID-19 testing location at Al Lopez Park, located at 4602 North Himes Avenue and one at Al Barnes Park, located at 3101 East 21st Avenue. Both are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

UPDATES: Get news alerts and updates in the free FOX 13 News app

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Hillsborough County to open additional COVID-19 testing site in Brandon - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union and supporters stage a car caravan protest outside City Hall in the Loop, Jan. 5, 2022. (Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) Talks between Chicago school leaders and the teachers' union resumed Sunday amid a standoff over remote learning and other COVID-19 safety measures that canceled three days of classes and loomed over the start of another week in the nation's third-largest district.

Disputed issues included testing and metrics to close schools. The Chicago Teachers Union wants the option to revert to districtwide remote instruction, and most membershave refused to teach in-person until there's an agreement, or the latest COVID-19 spike subsides. But Chicago leaders reject districtwide remote learning, saying it's detrimental and schools are safe. Instead, Chicago opted to cancel classes as a whole two days afterstudents returned from winter break.

Chicago Public Schools face thesame pandemic issues as other districts nationwide, with morereverting to remote learning as infections soarand staff members are sidelined. But the situation in union-friendly Chicago has been amplified in a labor dispute that's familiar to families in the mostly low-income Black and Latino district who have seen disruptions during a similarsafety protocol fight last year,a 2019strikeand aone-day work stoppage in 2016.

What the teachers' union did was an illegal walkout. They abandoned their posts and they abandoned kids and their families, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday on NBC's Meet The Press. We are working diligently every singe day at the bargaining table to narrow the differences and get a deal done.

Her statements weren't as dismissiveas a day earlierwhen shortly after the union made its latest offer public, she said, CTU leadership, youre not listening and vowed not to relent." The offer she rejected included remote learning starting Wednesday. Both sides havefiled complaintsto a state labor board.

Union leaders accused Lightfoot of bullying, saying they agree that in-person instruction is better, but the pandemic is forcing difficult decisions. Attendance was down ahead of the cancelations due students and teachers in isolation from possible exposure to the virus and families opting to keep children home voluntarily.

Educators are not the enemy Mayor Lightfoot wants them to be, the union said in a statement Sunday, adding that the desire to be in the classroom must be balanced by ensuring those classrooms are safe, healthy and well-resourced, with the proper mitigation necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

There was some progress.

The district said late Saturday it will allow more incentives for substitute teachers, provide KN95 masks for all teachers and students, and that Illinois will provide about 350,000 antigen tests. But both sides remained far apart on key issues including COVID-19 metrics that will lead to individual school closures and compensation. The district said it won't pay teachers failing to report to schools, even if they tried to log into remote teaching systems. The union doesn't want any of its roughly 25,000 members to be disciplined or lose pay.

District leaders have said some schools, where enough staff showed up, may offer instruction Monday even without an agreement; all buildings have remained open for meal pickup. However, only a handful of principals said they had staff to open and many preemptively canceled Monday classes, anticipating shortages.

School leaders have touted a $100 million safety plan, which includes air purifiers in each classroom. Also, roughly 91% of staff are vaccinated and masks are required indoors.

Since the start of the academic year, some individual classrooms have temporarily switched to remote instruction when there are infections. But in rejecting a widescale return to remote learning, city health officials argue most students directed to quarantine because of possible classroom exposure dont get COVID-19. The district is piloting a test to stay program to cut isolation times.

The union argues that the measures fall short, especially considering the omicron-fueled surge that has upended the return to work and class. It has also criticized the district for not enrolling enough students in a testing program and anunreliable database of COVID-19 infections.

Seven district families, represented by the conservative Liberty Justice Center in Chicago, filed a lawsuit in Cook County over the closures last week, while roughly 5,000 others have signed a petition urging a return to in-person instruction.

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Chicago's COVID-19 Fight With CPS Teachers Hangs Over a 2nd Week as Talks Resume Sunday - WTTW News

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) With COVID-19 tests in high demand, the state is opening nine new community testing centers.

Two of them will be in Hampton Roads: one in Newport News, the other in Norfolk near the current community vaccination center locations.

Each site will offer PCR tests that take a few days to get results back.

We are tapped out on many different systems, our pharmacies, our hospitals, our urgent care so this is an additional layer, said Suzi Trotter, the Virginia Department of Health Testing Co-Lead.

The first testing center in Newport News is at the Sherwood Shopping Center off Warwick Boulevard. The CTC services will be available in a heated tent near the same property as the Community Vaccination Center.

Starting Monday it will be open every day except Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by appointment only.

Trotter says they dont expect lines with this appointment-based system and it also ensures everyone with an appointment gets tested.

So far from our testing site yesterday, were running a couple of minutes per person. They do the online registration. When they get to the site their appointment is confirmed. Their requisition sheet prints out, and they get right through and out, said Trotter.

While testing is being offered Monday at Norfolks Military Circle Mall, CTC services wont start outside in tents until Tuesday. Itll have the same hours and appointment process as the one in Newport News.

Dr. Parham Jaberi with the Norfolk Health Department says theyre looking at 500 appointments a day. 400 will be available online and then 100 will be determined by the health department.

For individuals in a sensitive situation, theyre in the middle of an outbreak at a central job function. Theres going to be some play where a local health departments team is going to be able to use some executive management to fill those positions, explained Jaberi.

However, he also realizes the demand is likely greater than the secured number of appointments.

We served more than 500 on the first two testing events, so on the first day on Tuesday, there will probably be a lot more people than we can serve. But if people use the appointment-based system, they can look to the next day and the next day, Jaberi stated.

Dr. Jaberi says towards the end of the month, he believes these testing centers are really going to put a dent into helping those who have really had a hard time finding testing opportunities.

Trotter says theyre opening up appointments continuously throughout the week as they get their space and vendors up. She says they have secured funding through the end of the month, then we reevaluate the pilot program.

To find an appointment,CLICK HERE.Again, walk-ins will not be accepted.

Virginians who have not been fully vaccinated or are eligible for booster doses, can visitvaccinate.virginia.govor call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877) 829-4682 to find nearby vaccination clinics.

Download the WAVY News App to keep up with the latest news, weather and sports from WAVY-TV 10. Available in both the Apple and Google Play stores.

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Community COVID-19 testing centers open this week in Norfolk, Newport News to help with demand - WAVY.com

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy provided Albany Countys latest update Sunday on county-wide progress pertaining to vaccinations and controlling the spread of the Coronavirus. As of yesterday, 79.4% of all Albany County residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and 72% have been fully vaccinated.

County Executive McCoy announced that the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County is now at 48,226 to date, with 1,448 new positive cases identified since yesterday. The countys seven-day average of new daily positive cases is now up to just over 868. Albany Countys most recent seven-day average of cases per 100,000 is up to nearly 212 and the Capital Regions average of cases per 100,000 is now up to approximately 220.

There are now 6,644 active cases in Albany County, up from 5,771 yesterday. The number of individuals under quarantine increased to 7,192 from 6,386. So far, 41,582 of those who tested positive have now recovered, an increase of 555 additional recoveries.

County Executive McCoy reported that there were 19 new hospitalizations since yesterday, and there are now 116 county residents currently hospitalized with the Coronavirus. Fourteenof those hospital patients are in ICUs, up from 13 yesterday. There are no new COVID deaths to report and the death toll for Albany County stands at 476 since the outbreak began.

We knew we would see increased positive cases after holiday gatherings and that is what is happening now with another record high today of over 1,400 new cases, said County Executive McCoy. I hope that people have listened to what we have said about getting vaccinated and getting tested if they show signs or symptoms of the virus. There are many places to get a vaccination and local mass testing sites at Crossgates Mall and SUNY Albany to be tested. Please do the right thing to stop the spread and protect yourself, your loved ones and our community.

County Executive McCoy continues to encourage Albany County residents to report the results of positive at-home COVID tests on the county website, using its online at-home test reporting form.

Residents can receive free Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines (including booster shots) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. 3 p.m., each week at the Albany County Department of Health, 175 Green Street. Aside from Wednesdays, appointments are now required, which can be madeon the Albany County Department of Healths website. Anyone eligible to receive a COVID vaccine booster dose and would like to receive one from the Albany County Department of Health will be required to provide their vaccination card or the Excelsior Pass Plus in order to view the formula type, lot number and date of the inoculation.

Residents who want a shot from a state-run facility should use thestates website at the link hereor call the state vaccine hotline at 1-833-697-4829. For general information on the vaccine, residents can also dial the United Way of the Greater Capital Regions 2-1-1 hotline or the Albany County Department of Health at (518) 447-4580.

COVID-19 testing sites are still in operation across the Capital Region and New York State as a whole. Help finding a testing site near you can be found on New York States website, and in Albany County on their interactive online map.

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Another record-high daily COVID-19 case increase reported in Albany County, January 9 - NEWS10 ABC

by: Caroline Bleakley, Nexstar Media Wire

A man swabs his nose at a COVID-19 testing on the Martin Luther King Jr. medical campus Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its guidelines on coronavirus, raising questions about who should quarantine or isolate and for how long.

Last week, the CDC shortened its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations and clarified that the guidance applies to kids as well as adults.

Isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus were cut from 10 to five days and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine.

There is a difference between quarantine and isolation. You should quarantine if you come into contact with someone who has coronavirus and you think you have it. You should isolate if you confirm you have coronavirus even if you dont have symptoms.

If you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you should quarantine if:

If you come into close contact with someone with COVID-19, you do not need to quarantine if:

The CDC suggests a person quarantine for five days following their last contact with an infected person. Your day of exposure is day 0. Stay home and away from other people. If you are around people at home, wear a well-fitting mask. You should watch for a fever, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 symptoms. If symptoms develop, get tested immediately and isolate until you receive the results.

If you test positive, the CDC suggests you follow guidelines for isolation. If you do not develop symptoms after five days and you receive a negative test, you can leave your home, but you should continue to wear a mask until it has been 10 days since the exposure.

People in isolation should stay home in a specified sick room to be separated from others and wear a well-fitting mask if they must be around others in the home. You should isolate a full five days. Day 0 is the first day of symptoms or the date of the positive test for a person with no symptoms. You can end isolation after a full five days if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication and other symptoms have improved. However, you should wear a mask for an additional five days while in public.

You can find more detailed information on the CDC website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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COVID-19: When to quarantine or isolate? Whats the difference? - WJHL-TV News Channel 11

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) More options are coming to the valley in response to a local surge of COVID-19 testing, the Southern Nevada Health District announced Sunday.

To accommodate heavy demand for testing, the health department will open two drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites in the parking garages at Texas Station and Fiesta Henderson hotel and casino.

As COVID-19 cases surge here and elsewhere around the world, Clark County and partnering jurisdictions and agencies are working together to combine resources to meet the needs of our community, said Clark County Commission Chairman Jim Gibson, whose commission district includes the city of Henderson.

The Texas Station resort will open starting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12, on the first floor of the resorts parking garage on the south side of the property located at 2101 Texas Star Lane.

The site will operate five days a week, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The Fiesta Henderson resort will open at 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, located at 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway.

The site will operate five days a week, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday.

These new sites will provide more accessibility for Southern Nevadans who are looking for testing in Clark County, said Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District.

The sites are available by appointment, and people can register on the eTrueNorth website: http://www.INeedaCOVID19Test.com

Both sites are slated to be opened for 21 days, health officials said.

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New drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites to open at Texas Station, Fiesta Henderson - KLAS - 8 News Now

Testing positive for Covid-19 means putting workouts on hold, even if you have zero or mild symptoms.

Given research suggesting that the Omicron variant currently surging world-wide causes milder symptoms, some people set on keeping their New Years fitness resolutions may feel tempted to keep going to the gym.

Excerpt from:

Dont Work Out With Covid-19, at the Gym or Anywhere Else - The Wall Street Journal

Do you remember the reasoning for why we had to go on lockdown for two weeks in 2020? We were told it was to flatten the curve, to protect our hospitals from overload.

After that, the goal posts changed. We were never really told the reason why we had to drastically alter our daily lives, especially after several highly effective vaccines were made available to high-risk populations exactly a year ago.

Now in my area, Washington, D.C., were seeing stress on our health care system because of COVID-19, but not in the way one might think. Earlier this week, I received an email from Childrens National Hospital, the premier pediatric hospital in the nations capital, begging parents not to bring their children to the hospital for testing.

The email said the demand for hospital services surged after D.C. Public Schools ordered that every child in the system be tested Jan. 4 with an over-the-counter rapid antigen test and report a negative result to return to school. Incredibly, the hospital had to explain that it must prioritize services and testing for children who are sick. We cannot serve as the test center for children without symptoms who need to get tested because of suspected exposure, return to school requirements, travel and other situations that do not require medical treatment.

Why are parents taking healthy children to a hospital to get tested?

A doctor working in a local Washington, D.C.-area pediatric emergency department told me, We are seeing families in the pediatric emergency room because the wait times are shorter than the adult emergency rooms; its two hours for us versus six hours for adults. When their kid tests positive, they assume they are (positive) as well. They need access to testing, and its our pediatric emergency room theyre using for it.

Its the same story in New York City, with the Manhattan Borough president tweeting,

In the days of the omicron variant, and with the wide availability of vaccines and boosters, its time to conduct some societal soul-searching about our obsession with testing. What is the goal and what are we accomplishing?

In the beginning of the pandemic, it was clear: We needed testing to prevent the spread, especially to vulnerable populations like nursing home residents and those susceptible to severe disease and death because of underlying conditions. But now, in 2022 with a variant running roughshod and an American people with access to vaccines and therapeutics, and not that much access to tests, especially in urban areas, what is the goal now?

Omicron is an extremely transmissible, and mercifully, by all reports, mild version of the virus. Over the course of Christmas and New Years celebrations, it became impossible to count how many Americans were exposed or who contracted the virus. Coming off the holidays, though, schools and workplaces are requiring a negative test to return. This has placed enormous strain on urgent cares, pediatricians and primary care offices and emergency rooms.

Its not just the required testing thats causing the system to buckle. Its the panic.

Writing for The New York Times in March, David Leonhardt said, Democrats are more likely to exaggerate the severity of Covid. When asked how often Covid patients had to be hospitalized, a very large share of Democratic voters said that at least 20 percent did. The actual hospitalization rate is between 1 percent and 5 percent. Democrats are also more likely to exaggerate Covids toll on young people and to believe that children account for a meaningful share of deaths.

Even now, with record-breaking numbers of cases being reported, hospitalizations are about half what they were a year ago.

But the overestimation of risk, especially in light of vaccine effectiveness, is driving Americans to seek care at the emergency room, urgent care and doctors office not just for testing, but also for treatment of mild cases. Across the country, hospitals are asking people with mild symptoms to stay home. In San Diego, Fox 5 reported, Rady Childrens Hospital is asking the public not to show up to their emergency room just looking for a COVID-19 test for kids to return to school or even with mild symptoms. In a statement Monday, the hospital said the reason is to prioritize patients with serious illness or injury.

Similar statements have been released by hospital systems in Virginia, Massachusetts and North Carolina, just to name a few.

In this new pandemic landscape, its time to change how were talking about and managing testing and COVID-19 infection. Our vigilance began out of an abundance of caution in order to protect our health care system from strain and collapse. But now its that same caution thats creating incredible strain across the country.

Bethany Mandel is a contributing writer for the Deseret News and an editor at Ricochet.com.

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Why is it hard to find a COVID-19 test right now? | Opinion - Deseret News