Study finds omicron isn’t as severe as other virus versions

A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that although the omicron variant has shattered COVID-19 records for cases and hospitalizations, other factors have shown it’s still less severe than other waves in the pandemic.

The highly contagious variant has pushed the United States to break 1 million cases in a day multiple times and the pace of reported deaths is currently more than 15,000 per week.

But despite omicron seeing the highest reported numbers of hospitalizations during the pandemic, the ratio of emergency department visits and hospitalizations to case numbers was in fact lower compared with the COVID-19 waves from the delta variant and during winter 2020–21, the study says. Intensive care unit admission, length of stay, and in-hospital deaths were all lower during omicron, the CDC report says, likely in part because of vaccinations and booster shots.

Kan. mulls easing ivermectin rules

The Kansas Senate is considering a bill making it easier for doctors to prescribe ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19. The bill would also require pharmacists to fill such prescriptions, even if they believe the drugs would be dangerous for patients.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned against using the drugs for COVID-19, Kansas joins Indiana,

Iowa and a handful of other states considering bills to shield doctors from legal liability and board discipline for prescribing the drugs.

“This is politics, unfortunately, and not health care,” said Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System. “And when politics gets involved in health care, it kind of gets a little messy.”

Also in the news

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., joined the long list of lawmakers who have announced positive COVID-19 tests. Both described their infections as breakthrough cases.

California showed signs of turning the corner on the omicron wave, with infection rates falling and hospitalizations well short of the overwhelming deluge officials feared a few weeks ago.

Today’s numbers: The United States has recorded more than 72 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 873,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 360 million cases and over 5.6 million deaths. More than 210 million Americans — 63.5% — have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.