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December 29, 2021

U.S. Coronavirus Infections Hit All-Time High
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U.S. coronavirus infections have reached an all-time high, surpassing
even January's terrible peak, with cases now averaging 267,000 a day and
rising rapidly. Hospitalizations are up, too, with nearly 80,000 U.S.
hospital beds filled, though that figure is about half of the number
hospitalized during last winter's surge.

On Wednesday, the CDC revised its estimate of the percentage of U.S.
Omicron variant infections downward, suggesting the dangerous Delta
variant is continuing to circulate widely.

The FDA is warning that over-the-counter rapid antigen tests might be
less sensitive at detecting the Omicron variant. The warning comes as
the Biden administration is preparing to make a half-billion tests
available, for free, to U.S. households.

Here in New York, there's been a fivefold increase in the number of
children hospitalized with COVID-19 this month. Dr. James Schneider is
head of pediatric care at Cohen Children's Medical Center.

Dr. James Schneider: "We're seeing record numbers of admissions of all
children, of all ages, from newborns all the way through 21 years of
age, in hospitals and in ICUs with Omicron. Not to say that it's more
severe, but my experience so far is that it's not less severe, at least
in kids; it's just that it's much more contagious."