SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – As more people test positive for COVID-19 amid the omicron surge, health experts in Florida said the numbers may even be higher.
“The numbers are likely to be quite a bit higher because there are so many people doing at-home tests now,” said Dr. Todd Husty, medical director for the Oviedo Fire Dept.
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Husty said those numbers may not count in the daily case numbers if people don’t report their positive results.
The Florida Department of Health reported more than 125, 000 new cases last Friday and 122 new deaths. That’s an increase of 323% in cases from the previous week, but a 37% decline in deaths.
When it comes to hospitalizations, numbers were peaking at more than 15,000 amid the delta surge. On Monday the Florida Hospital Association said confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations were up to 2,075, with 5.6% of adult patients in ICU.
“It appears that it may be a little milder, but don’t be fooled because it’s also causing more breakthrough infections, people who are already immunized,” said Husty.
Husty said vaccinated people can still get the omicron variant -- and perhaps it’s even easier to get and transmit, but vaccinated people may be less likely to get really sick.
Back in August, amid the peak of the delta variant, we saw the positivity rate as high as 19%, now it’s a little under 14%.
“We all got pretty comfortable with the fact that we weren’t spreading the virus very much. Our numbers were low, walked into a store, almost no one has a mask on, and felt pretty comfortable. Then we get this very transmissible virus,” said Husty.