The U.S. breaks its single-day case record, nearly doubling the highest numbers from last winter.

[Zorro]

Source: New York Times

With a caseload nearly twice that of the worst single days of last winter, the United States shattered its record for new daily coronavirus cases, a milestone that may still fall short of describing the true toll of the Delta and Omicron variants because testing has slowed over the holidays.

As a second year of living with the pandemic was drawing to a close, the new daily case total topped 488,000 on Wednesday, according to a New York Times database. (The total was higher on Monday, but that number should not be considered a record because it included data from the long holiday weekend.)

Wednesday’s seven-day average of new daily cases, 301,000, was also a record, compared with 267,000 the day before, according to the database. In the past week, more than two million cases have been reported nationally, and 15 states and territories reported more cases than in any other seven-day period.

The rise has been driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, which became dominant in the United States last week. So far, however, the increase has not resulted in more severe disease, as hospitalizations have increased only 11 percent and deaths have decreased slightly in the past two weeks.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/30/world/omicron-covid-vaccine-tests/the-us-breaks-its-single-day-case-record-nearly-doubling-the-highest-numbers-from-last-winter

[IA8IT]

1. I wonder how many home test positives go unreported?

[Diamond_Dog]

5. My first thought, too.

[FBaggins]

7. I would imagine the vast majority

We've used them bunches of times. I'm not even sure how to report a positive if one had come up.

To be fair - since we're comparing the stats to earlier points in the pandemic - there weren't many tests available at first. The hospitalization/death stats are more applicable for comparison.

[GB_RN]

2. Hospitalizations And Deaths Are Lagging Indicators...

Going by my state’s COVID dashboard, hospitalizations are already increasing - they haven’t seen the worst of this, yet. And deaths have typically lagged hospitalizations by about two weeks. So, those will spike dramatically before long.

[progree]

14. Hospitalization, U.S. overall: up 9.3% since Dec 25, and up 67% since a Nov 10 low point

All figures are 7 day moving average from the New York Times. Includes Dec. 29 data.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

There unfortunately, but not surprisingly, has been an acceleration in the hospitalization rate in the last few days after about a 10 day almost-flat period.

Deaths are still in a slight decline since Dec 23.

[GB_RN]

15. Yeah.

Deaths won’t be far behind in spiking, with the uptick in hospitalizations and massive surge in cases that are going on now. It’s a viscous cycle that wears out us nurses, docs, PAs, NPs and all the hospital staff…in a gigantic hurry.

[OnlinePoker]

3. I'm curious how many of those are reinfections.

In the early months of the pandemic, they said it happened rarely, but with new variants, I think earlier immunity may not hold up (kind of like needing an annual flu shot due to mutations).

[IronLionZion]

6. Good time to steer clear of maskholes

I wouldn't want to be flying these days with all the cancellations, let alone bars, restaurants, churches, or indoor arenas.

My city requires vaccines for the above now. And my gym now requires the booster too.

Hoping this is the last of the big waves and then it becomes endemic. More vaccines are approved for the developing world so more people can get their first doses.

The US might have fewer antivaxxers by next election.

[Initech]

8. Well if r/HermanCainAwards is any indication...

The anti-vaxxers and MAGAholes seem clear on taking themselves out in large numbers.

[IronLionZion]

9. Fine with me

My sympathies are only for innocent bystanders they take down with them

[Initech]

10. Yeah if only there were a way to stop that.

But there are too many of these assholes around and that will happen. At least COVID is taking out the trash.

[Skittles]

18. it's not just the maskholes

right here on DU we have people talking about how they went to a "gathering" and people got Covid - WTF, the advice is out there but if even DUers are not getting the message there's not much hope of avoiding this virus

[IronLionZion]

19. "there's not much hope of avoiding this virus"

There's no avoiding it at this point. It's everywhere and spreads super easily.

[Groundhawg]

11. I know a ton of people that got Covid and not one of them reported it.

[llashram]

12. rump and his

dumbass followers did and are doing this...what a continuing disaster Incontinent 45 is...was

[PerceptionManagement]

13. Thank you, Ron DeSantis for thinning the republican voter rolls

[nitpicker]

16. Some of this is still backlog

From the holidays.

And the last time I looked, NE reported weekly totals on Wednesdays, KS reports MWF, and I'm sure there are other states that don't report daily (besides FL that only posts on Friday its weekly totals).

Let's see what gets posted for today and tomorrow.

[riversedge]

17. WHOW.