COVID hospitalization surge pushes health systems to brink

SEATTLE (AP) — Hospital leaders, doctors and public health officials said Thursday a spike of COVID-19 hospitalizations is pushing health care systems in Washington state closer than they’ve ever been to a crisis point. The Seattle Times reports the effects of the omicron variant’s rapid transmission were coming into focus as hospital leaders and health officials detailed trends of severe COVID-19 cases, which had been in decline since the delta variant peak last year. King County and western Washington have experienced the brunt of the omicron spike, but the rest of the state isn’t far behind. Two state medical and physician associations are calling on state leaders to declare a statewide crisis to make available emergency resources for hospitals.