
Models predict wave of omicron deaths
Fox News
The omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths are climbing and modelers say 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.
Despite signs that omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.
"A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been," said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. "It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better."