New: Preliminary findings related to the severity and impact of the surge of #COVID19 cases associated with the introduction of the #omicron variant to NYC: on.nyc.gov/3zTIDYk
Some key findings 🧵⬇
Omicron quickly became the most prevalent variant and led to a dramatic increase in reported cases. Whereas the delta variant became the dominant variant (from 0% prevalence to more than 90% prevalence) over a period of 20 weeks, omicron became the dominant variant in five weeks.
When the omicron variant emerged in NYC, it led to a steep rise in the number of people who visited emergency departments with COVID-like illness. Shortly afterward, the daily number of hospitalizations increased too.
Overall, a smaller proportion of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 since the omicron variant emerged in NYC have been hospitalized, but the total number of hospitalizations increased because of the very large number of reported cases.
A similar pattern was also seen in Gauteng, South Africa, where approximately 5% of COVID-19 cases were hospitalized during the most recent wave associated with omicron, compared to 19% and 47% during the prior two waves in the region.
Rates of hospitalization have been dramatically higher among the unvaccinated. At the time of this report, over 73% of all New York City residents were fully vaccinated.
The proportion of hospitalizations have been higher among older adults and Black/African American New Yorkers.
Emergency department visits for COVID-like illness have gotten less severe compared to previous waves. The emergency severity index is a rating with scale from 1 (most urgent) to 5 (least urgent).
The number of hospitalized patients increased dramatically due to omicron’s prevalence. As of Dec. 30, 2021, hospitalizations exceeded last winter’s surge and the number of patients in the ICU is approaching what was seen last winter.
About half of all patients in NYC hospitals have COVID-19. Despite stable total numbers of hospitalized patients, staffing shortages have been felt widely during the omicron wave across the health care sector in NYC. Nearly all hospitals report some impact on operations.
The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU in NYC hospitals increased steadily as the number of cases rose. However, the proportion of patients in the ICU remains lower than in previous waves. Percentage-wise, fewer New Yorkers are in the ICU or require ventilator support.
Total pediatric hospital census was stable to slightly lower during the omicron wave, though pediatric hospitalizations due to or with COVID-19 increased significantly. And unvaccinated kids 5-17 years old were over 4 times more likely to be hospitalized compared with all kids.
Remember, there are things all New Yorkers can do to beat back omicron:
✅ Get vaccinated and get boosted
✅ Wear a high-quality mask
✅ Get tested
✅ Meet outdoors
✅ Avoid optional activities if at risk for severe illness

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More from @NYCHealthCommr

13 Jan
Cardiac arrests are scary events that 350,000 Americans experience outside of hospitals each year, and only 10% survive. This story about my friend @kevin_volpp, a doctor & renowned researcher, highlights all the things that need to go right for survival.
heart.org/en/news/2021/1…
First, @kevin_volpp was with people who knew CPR and jumped into action right away. Then, first responders were called immediately and were able to use a defibrillator (AED) on him -- a critical device that can shock a heart back into rhythm if needed -- within a few minutes.
Once Kevin arrived at the hospital, he was treated immediately, with a “door-to-balloon” time of just 1 hour and 8 minutes, well below the @American_Heart target of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/…
Read 5 tweets
11 Jan
.@nycHealthy's World Trade Center Health Registry recently investigated the association between 9/11-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dust exposure and stroke among nearly 30,000 people in the Registry. 🧵
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100… Photo of the nighttime Manh...
PTSD was significantly associated with increased risk of stroke. The likelihood of having recurrent strokes was also higher among those with PTSD versus those without PTSD.
Intense exposure to the dust cloud increased the odds of having a stroke significantly, but not for recurrent strokes.
Read 5 tweets
9 Jan
In the winter of 1893-94, there was a smallpox outbreak in Brooklyn. While that was a long time ago — Brooklyn wouldn’t officially become part of NYC for another 4 years — many of the strategies used to fight the outbreak look familiar to us today. 🧵
Thanks to @NYCRecords’ efforts to digitize an enormous number of records from the municipalities that eventually became part of NYC as we know it, we can see how the Kings County Board of Health acted to stem the smallpox outbreak and keep residents safe.
Just like now, vaccinating workers was an important part of the effort — like at this bakery where a team of vaccinators took care of the whole workforce.
Read 7 tweets
8 Jan
Pediatric hospitalizations for #COVID19 have increased in New York City as part of the Omicron surge, particularly among unvaccinated children. 🧵
Statewide, during the week of December 20th, 91% of 5-11 year old children hospitalized were unvaccinated, and 65% of 12- to 17-year-olds admitted were unvaccinated.
health.ny.gov/press/releases…
In NYC, our data show the markedly higher risk for unvaccinated kids 5 to 17 years old, who are over 4 times more likely to be hospitalized compared with all kids in that age range.
Read 6 tweets
6 Jan
Hearing about “flu-rona” in the news? Co-infection with influenza and COVID-19 is not new. NYC has seen some cases of co-infection, and this is expected. That’s why we have been encouraging all New Yorkers to get BOTH their flu & COVID-19 vaccines. 🧵
washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01…
The previous flu season in NYC was unusually mild, partially due to the public health measures we had in place to prevent COVID-19. This year, flu is circulating widely in NYC. Graph showing influenza pos...
COVID-19 and flu are both respiratory illnesses and spread in similar ways. Precautions against both are similar and familiar to New Yorkers: masking, improving ventilation, physical distancing and staying home when you are sick.
Read 4 tweets
6 Jan
Resources for New Yorkers during the #omicron surge, from @nycHealthy and @NYCHealthSystem 🧵⬇

If you need a COVID-19 test, and are immunocompromised and 65 years or older, schedule an appointment to have your test done at home.
☎ Call 929-298-9400
We also continue to ramp up free COVID-19 testing capacity at dozens of community-based sites through mobile testing vans and clinics. Find a testing site near you here: on.nyc.gov/3F3q9Fw
If you tested positive for COVID-19 but your symptoms are mild and you are not in a high risk group, use non-emergency services for medical advice.
Read 6 tweets

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