Health & Lifestyle

CDC sounds alarm over new Covid variant JN.1 it says could leave hospitals and emergency rooms forced to ration care

  • Covid, flu and RSV rates and hospital admissions are rising across the US, coupled with low vaccination rates
  • Hospital beds for children are already nearly as full as they were last year in some parts of the country
  • READ MORE: Not now Covid! CDC says it’s tracking a NEW coronavirus variant that has tripled in a month 

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Hospitals and emergency rooms could be forced to ration care by the end of this month amid the spread of a new highly infectious Covid variant.

The JN.1 variant is responsible for an increasing number of cases, the CDC said. It now accounts for up to 29 percent of Covid cases, a sharp rise from less than one percent at the start of November.

Covid is the biggest driver of hospitalizations, with more than 23,000 new hospital admissions in the week ending December 9 – the fifth consecutive week numbers have risen and the highest levels seen since February.

The CDC cautioned the strain on the healthcare system could mean ‘patients with other serious health conditions may face delays in receiving care.’

Louisiana, South Carolina and New Mexico have very high levels of respiratory illness, according to the CDC, as do Mississippi and Alabama

Louisiana, South Carolina and New Mexico have very high levels of respiratory illness, according to the CDC, as do Mississippi and Alabama

Hospitals and emergency rooms could be forced to ration care by the end of this month amid the spread of a new highly infectious Covid variant, JN.1, the CDC said

Hospitals and emergency rooms could be forced to ration care by the end of this month amid the spread of a new highly infectious Covid variant, JN.1, the CDC said

Making the situation even more precarious, flu hospitalizations are also rising. The number of new admissions reached 7,090 for the week ending December 9, up from 5,816 admitted in the week ending December 2.

The CDC forecasts up to 18,000 hospital admissions due to flu are likely to be reported in the last week of December. 

For the week ending December 9, flu rates were eight per 100,000 people across the US, compared to 36 per 100,000 this time last year. 

Cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also rising. Louisiana, South Carolina and New Mexico have very high levels of respiratory illness, according to the CDC, as do Mississippi and Alabama. 

In the week ending December 9, the rate of RSV hospitalizations was 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.3 this time last year.

Whitney Marvin, a pediatric intensive care specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, told the Washington Post this year is the worst RSV season she can recall.

Children are staying in the hospital for longer because they are sicker, and the RSV season began later than last year’s, meaning RSV has overlapped with the spike of other winter respiratory viruses, including flu.

Dr Marvin’s hospital has been forced to coordinate with other hospitals in the state and in nearby North Carolina to divert patients.

The CDC said: ‘In some parts of the country, hospital beds for children are already nearly as full as they were this time last year.

‘If these trends continue, the situation at the end of this month could again strain emergency departments and hospitals.’

Data from emergency rooms published Wednesday showed ER visits of school-age children almost doubled last week.

The spike is mainly due to increased flu cases after plateaued figures in the run-up to Thanksgiving

But an increase in traveling and family get-togethers, as well as cold weather forcing people to spend more time indoors, is likely to push rates of respiratory illness up even further.

Covid, RSV and flu hospital admissions are rising across the country, coupled with low vaccination rates for all three, the CDC warned

Covid, RSV and flu hospital admissions are rising across the country, coupled with low vaccination rates for all three, the CDC warned

CDC data shows that daily hospitalizations due to Covid have risen three percent in the first week of December. There were 23,432 hospital admissions in the week ending December 9, the latest available data. This is lower than the 34,932 hospitalizations this time last year

CDC data shows that daily hospitalizations due to Covid have risen three percent in the first week of December. There were 23,432 hospital admissions in the week ending December 9, the latest available data. This is lower than the 34,932 hospitalizations this time last year

Covid deaths remain low - with 723 in the week ending December 9, compared to 3,035 this time last year

Covid deaths remain low – with 723 in the week ending December 9, compared to 3,035 this time last year

In a similar situation to last year, ER visits for flu are outranking Covid for the first time in months in most age groups.

Only among people older than 65 years old are Covid rates still higher than flu.

And nursing homes have been grappling with a sharp rise in Covid recently.

The rise in cases is likely due to the JN.1 variant experts believe could be more infectious and which the CDC recently announced it was tracking.

The agency estimates the variant comprised up to almost 30 percent of Covid cases in the US in the first week of December, up from nine percent at the end of November.

The CDC  said it is currently the fastest-growing variant in the country, and its presence will continue to increase. 

The new variant was first detected in the US in September, and in October, it made up just 0.1 percent of Covid cases. 

Due to its rapid spread, the CDC believes it is either more transmissible or better at evading the human immune system. 

Still, there is no evidence the variant poses an increased risk to people and no indication it is more severe than previous variants. 

JN.1 is very similar to the previous BA.2.86 variant, with only a single change mutating in the virus’ spike protein. 

A group of experts organized by the World Health Organization concluded this month that JN.1’s changes are not drastic enough to require a revision to this season’s vaccines but highlighted that the sots were less effective at working against the strain.

The CDC has also warned about low vaccination rates overall for Covid, flu and RSV.

Data from insurance claims indicate that flu shots are roughly eight million doses behind vaccination levels seen last year.

Flu shots in children are also down around five percentage points compared to last year, CDC survey data suggested.

In nursing homes, only a third of residents and less than one in 10 staff members have been vaccinated with the latest Covid shot.  

‘Covering the missed volume is going to be very difficult or not possible,’ vaccine manufacturers said at a recent stakeholder meeting with the CDC.

CDC data shows that daily hospitalizations due to Covid have risen by three percent in the first week of December. 

There were 23,432 hospital admissions in the week ending December 9, the latest available data.

This is lower than the 34,932 hospitalizations this time last year.

Covid deaths remain low – with 723 in the week ending December 9, compared to 3,035 this time last year.


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