ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — While wastewater samples show omicron as the now dominant COVID-19 variant in Orange County, researchers at the University of Florida predict a "likely" peak in cases come February.
A recent study and mapping shows the "likely" outcome with single-day case numbers like never before seen, and echoes what leading health experts have been saying to this point.
What You Need To Know
- Researchers at UF project a peak in omicron cases this February
- Their "most likely" scenario shows some 40,000 single-day cases, a record
- They believe the variant is high in transmission, that people have moderate immunity and that there's generally low severity
However, doctors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still studying and learning more about omicron and aren't ready to let guards down just yet.
Although some indicate symptoms won't be as severe with omicron as with other strains, and that deaths won't top records, there could still be people with severe effects since the strain is said to spread more easily and therefore could infect more people.
Dr. Anthony Harris, CEO and Medical Director of HFit Health, wants to learn more before he classifies omicron as less severe.
"The jury is still out," he said.
“Although we may not see a clear line of severity that’s going to cause people to be hospitalized, we know that by sheer volume of people infected we may see — and what we’re expecting and already seeing — increases in hospitalizations and increases in mortality again because of the volume of infection," Harris added.