Number of COVID patients in US hospitals reaches record low

By BEN FINLEY and KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — COVID-19 hospitalization numbers have plunged to their lowest levels since the summer of 2020, offering a much needed break to health care workers and patients alike following the omicron surge. The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus has fallen more than 90% in more than two months, and some hospitals are going days without a single COVID-19 patient in the ICU for the first time since early 2020. The freed up beds are expected to help U.S. hospitals retain exhausted staff, treat non-COVID-19 patients more quickly and cut down on inflated costs. More family members can visit loved ones. And doctors hope to see a correction to the slide in pediatric visits, yearly checkups and cancer screenings.