COVID may ‘overrun’ some US hospitals – Biden

US: US President Joe Biden on Monday said some US hospitals could be “overrun” by COVID cases, but the country is generally well prepared to meet the latest surge and Americans need not panic.

Biden spoke as the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 continued to punch holes in airlines’ busy Christmas holiday schedules, prompting lead White House medical advisor Anthony Fauci to suggest that a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel might be necessary.

“I think that’s something that seriously should be considered,” he told MSNBC.

In a virtual meeting hosted by the White House with several state governors and top health advisors, Biden stressed that the Omicron variant would not have the same impact as the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 or the Delta surge this year.

“Omicron is a source of concern, but it should not be a source of panic,” he said.

Testing is more widely available and mass vaccinations mean that for many people infections do not lead to serious illness.

“Because there have been so many vaccinations and boosters, we’re not seeing hospitalizations rising as much as they did previously,” he said. “Americans, America have made progress. Things are better.” – NDTV